High-profile challengers ready to line up for Wentworth

Malcolm Turnbull’s exit has opened the door to favoured party local Dave Sharma scoring his prize Liberal seat of Wentworth.

Lucy Turnbull with former ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma

Malcolm Turnbull’s confirmation he will leave politics — precipitating a possible by-election soon — has opened the door to favoured party local Dave Sharma scoring his prize Liberal seat of Wentworth in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Mr Turnbull yesterday stood by remarks earlier this week — ­interpreted as a veiled swipe at Tony Abbott — that it was best for ­former leaders not to remain in parliament.

Asked directly when he would quit as the member for Wentworth, he said “not before too long”, leaving it unclear whether he would stay until an election was called this year or early next, but nonetheless fuelling speculation about an imminent by-election.

Whether a by-election is called will depend on when Mr Turnbull resigns. Under House of Representatives practice, the Speaker can hold off issuing the writs for a by-election if a general election is on the horizon or expected to be called soon.

Mr Sharma, a former ambass­ador to Israel and government foreign affairs adviser, faces a preselection battle first with a high-powered field that could ­include former acting Liberal Party federal director Andrew Bragg and Christine Forster, a City of Sydney councillor and gay rights campaigner who is also Tony ­Abbott’s sister.

Other names floated as potential candidates include Mr Turnbull’s son-in-law James Brown, the president of RSL NSW and a former army officer who heads the Liberals’ Paddington branch.

The Turnbull connection could count against a run by his son-in-law, given family concerns to avoid any hint of a dynastic handover or nepotism.

Wentworth, which Mr Turnbull won with a 17.5 per cent margin at the 2016 election, has long been a coveted Liberal seat, with prominent predecessors including former federal party leader John Hewson and state party leader Peter Coleman.

It covers a spread of wealthy suburbs in Sydney’s east, such as Woollahra, Vaucluse, Double Bay and Mr Turnbull’s home suburb of Point Piper, but includes densely populated middle-income areas from Waverley to Bondi and ­Clovelly. The area has Sydney’s largest Jewish population and a diverse mix of ethnic communities.

With an independent, Alex Greenwich, holding the local state seat with its electoral boundary closer to the city, and the Greens polling almost 15 per cent in Wentworth at the last federal election, there has been speculation Mr Turnbull’s exit might again make the seat a marginal one.

Mr Greenwich has left open the possibility of running in ­Wentworth.

Labor has picked Waverley businessman Tim Murray as its candidate, while the Greens this week confirmed they would run with Waverley Deputy Mayor ­Dominic Wy Kanak.