Liberals poised to name Fadden by-election candidate
Five Liberal National Party candidates will vie for preselection in the blue-ribbon seat of Fadden ahead of a by-election that the federal opposition is confident of winning.
Five Liberal National Party candidates will vie for preselection in the blue-ribbon seat of Fadden ahead of a by-election that the federal opposition is confident of winning.
The Gold Coast seat will go to a by-election on July 15 following the resignation of Liberal frontbencher Stuart Robert, who retained Fadden last year on margin of 10.63 per cent on the two-party preferred count.
The five political hopefuls will deliver their pitches to party members at the Runaway Bay Community Centre on Saturday at 2pm.
Local businesswoman Fran Ward – the only female candidate in the race – has been branch chair for five years and has the backing of Mr Robert.
Despite the benefit of a strong local profile, there is not a strong consensus among party insiders that she has an assured win.
Long-serving councillor Cameron Caldwell is considered a frontrunner, and is well-known on the Gold Coast as the council planning chair.
Mr Caldwell was disendorsed by the LNP before the 2012 state election after attending a pirate-themed swingers party, but has gone on to win successive local elections in the area.
Party sources believe decorated doctor Dinesh Palipana, a former Queenslander of the Year, would make a “quality candidate”, but he may be beaten out by Ms Ward or Mr Caldwell who are well-known to branch members.
Dr Palipana has been publicly backed by Gold Coast-based state MP Sam O’Connor, but has not been active in the branch for as long as other candidates.
“It could go anyway. It will be one of those three,” a party source said.
Two other candidates Owen Caterer and Craig Hobart are considered an outside chance.
About 280 eligible presections, plus the state executive, will choose the candidate, who party leader Peter Dutton said should be “somebody who can be a future cabinet minister or a leader of our party”.
Labor does not expect to win Fadden, but will use the poll as a test of its support in Queensland after failing to make inroads in the state at the 2022 election.
Last year, Labor recorded its worst federal election result in Queensland since 1996, with a net loss of one seat. Labor now holds just five of Queensland’s 30 federal seats.
The ALP, which considered not fielding a Fadden candidate at all, opened expressions of interest for the seat earlier this week.
Nurse educator Letitia Del Fabbro was unanimously endorsed by Labor’s admin committee on Friday evening to run in Fadden again after an unsuccessful tilt last May.
The Fadden by-election will be the second time this year the Liberals will fight to defend their seat, after Labor historically claimed victory in the seat of Aston in March.
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