Liberals woo star candidate Belle Binder for seat of Braddon

Liberals are lining up a star candidate – Tasmania’s Rural Woman of 2024 Belle Binder – to hold the vital federal marginal seat of Braddon, while Labor fears an ‘own goal’ by Tanya Plibersek.

Tasmania’s Farm Work Loop founder Belle Binder.

Liberals are lining up a star candidate – Tasmania’s Rural Woman of 2024 Belle Binder – to hold the vital federal marginal seat of Braddon, while Labor fears an “own goal” by Tanya Plibersek.

Ms Binder, a young entrepreneur who has pioneered an innovative farm labour scheme, is considered by senior party figures to be an “outstanding” and “formidable” candidate to keep the seat in Liberal hands.

Centred on Tasmania’s west and northwest, Braddon is held by Liberal MP and close friend to Peter Dutton Gavin Pearce, who is retiring from politics at the ­coming election.

Retention of both Braddon and neighbouring Bass are seen as vital if the Coalition is to have a shot at winning the coming federal election, which is due next year but could come sooner.

The Weekend Australian understands up to five prospective candidates are seeking Liberal preselection for Braddon, which takes in the West Coast and Burnie and Devonport.

The two frontrunners are considered to be Devonport-based Ms Binder, foremost, as well as ­fellow businesswoman and Latrobe deputy mayor Vonette Mead, although there is speculation Ms Mead may withdraw.

Senior party figures are strongly backing Ms Binder, who won the 2024 Tasmanian AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, but the decision rests with a preselection committee that’s due to hand down its verdict in coming weeks.

Key players described Ms Binder, whose Farm Work Loop labour program provides locals and backpackers continuous, flexible work across multiple farms, as a standout candidate with strong electoral appeal.

Ms Binder has achieved national accolades for the scheme, which has filled more than 6000 jobs across 113 Tasmanian farms, giving her a strong profile among the party’s rural base.

Before setting up her own business, the mother or stepmother of five children worked in promotions, marketing and photography. “She’d be a formidable candidate and great fresh voice – outstanding,” said one senior party figure.

However, some within the party question how long Ms Binder has been a party member, suggesting she only very recently joined.

It is understood her main rival for the candidacy is Ms Mead, who ran unsuccessfully for the party at the March state election, and has a local government voting base, but it was unclear if she intended to ­remain in the race.

Braddon has been won by Labor more often than the Liberals this century and was last in Labor hands from 2016-19. Mr Pearce defeated Labor MP Justice Keay at the 2019 election and improved the party’s hold, to a margin of 8 per cent, in 2022.

Labor believes Mr Pearce’s retirement provides an opportunity to win back the seat. However, some in the party believe this is only possible with the right candidate – and if federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek sides with local industries in imminent decisions over a mine tailings dam at Rosebery and salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour.

“The best of (Labor) candidates couldn’t win if Plibersek duds local mining and salmon jobs,” one party member said.

Sources suggest Labor has struggled to find a candidate for this reason, prompting speculation Senator Anne Urquhart or state MP Anita Dow could be persuaded to take it on.

However, sources said those scenarios had been excluded and a candidate now identified. Their identity remains unknown, even to some Braddon ALP members.

Ms Binder and Ms Mead did not respond to requests for comment. Liberal Bass MP Bridget Archer has already been preselected, after an unsuccessful push by conservatives to replace her.