Former Uber executive Tom White picked for bid to take back Curtin
Businessman Tom White will take on federal teal independent Kate Chaney for the Liberals in the Western Australian seat of Curtin in the next election.
Businessman Tom White has been preselected for the Liberal Party for the Western Australian federal seat of Curtin for the next election, expected in 2025.
The former Uber executive, and adviser to state Liberal stalwart Peter Collier during the Colin Barnett government, defeated former Army Reserves captain Matt Moran for the once blue-ribbon Liberal seat in Perth’s exclusive western suburbs – home to billionaires Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest and Gina Rinehart and other mining magnates including Mineral Resources founder and managing director Chris Ellison.
Teal independent Kate Chaney won the seat – which was previously held for the Liberals by former foreign minister Julie Bishop and then academic Celia Hammond – by a slim margin at the 2022 federal election.
Mr White returned to Australia last year after heading the ride-sharing service in South Korea reportedly because of his political ambition to help the Liberals regain the seat.
The former WA Young Liberal president won the preselection race, polling 192 to Mr Moran’s 64 votes.
Mr White’s supporters told The Australian his initial success was a good sign for the “positive direction” of party’s future, given the vote was the WA Liberals’ largest-ever plebiscite. This is a mechanism that was introduced following a review of the disastrous 2021 state election which left the party with just two lower house members in the state parliament.
“We need candidates who are willing to work hard, effectively fundraise, and ultimately want the best for their potential constituents. Tom is the gold standard of that motto,” a senior party member told The Australian following the vote on Saturday.
More Coverage
BCA seeks $10bn housing reform fund
The Coalition is also calling for construction workers to be placed on the immigration skills priority list as the Albanese government faces mounting pressure on housing.
‘Death better than wait for aged care’
Cyril Tooze is the tragic face of the crisis in Australia’s home aged care system – sick, and so sick of waiting to receive any care that he would rather die peacefully on his own terms.