Libs seeking the best man to take down Kate Chaney in Curtin

Tom White and Matt Moran are fighting for the Liberal nomination for Curtin, a seat that is central to the opposition’s hopes of returning to power.

Tom White is in the running to represent the Liberals in the seat of Curtin.

The Liberal Party’s hopes of regaining its crown jewel seat of Curtin could boil down to a debate on climate, with both contenders for the contenders flagging a fight with teal incumbent Kate Chaney over environmental policy.

Former Uber executive Tom White and army veteran and former Malcolm Turnbull media adviser Matt Moran are going head to head to secure preselection for a seat that covers Perth’s wealthy western suburbs, and which until the 2022 federal election was a Liberal stronghold.

Nomination forms distributed to the 600 or so Curtin party members who will decide the preselection, and obtained by The Australian, show that Mr White – a former federal president of the Young Liberals – has secured endorsements from former West Australian premier Colin Barnett, influential party figure Danielle Blain and Howard government minister Geoff Prosser.

Mr Moran has secured former senator David Johnston, who was defence minister between September 2013 and December 2014, Distinguished Service Medal recipient lieutenant colonel David Trotter and state prosecutor Kate Gregory as his referees.

Mr White’s nomination form states that he intends to advocate for the role of gas in Australia’s energy transition – a key point of difference from Ms Chaney, who has been vocal in her opposition to new gas developments such as Woodside Energy’s Scarborough LNG project.

Mr White wrote in his application form that economic policies bolstering Australia’s top industries were a major area of policy interest. “I oppose energy policies that masquerade as moral but actually harm WA’s key employers and hike household prices,” he said.

He said Ms Chaney’s opposition to the gas industry could help in his efforts to raise funds for the Liberal campaign, while his experience from his time at Uber – in which he helped grow the service in WA, South Australia, Vietnam, Japan and Korea – would also prove helpful in a campaign.

“I have experience harnessing the momentum of political events, seizing the moment when the political heat is up, and I see the current member’s opposition to the gas industry as one of many opportunities to attract contributors to our cause,” he said.

Mr Moran’s experience includes serving in Afghanistan and East Timor, working in the media, and working for a Liberal prime minister in Canberra.

He listed defence, defence industry and procurement, foreign relations, veterans’ issues, economic policy, cost of living, housing policy, aged care and the environment as key areas of policy interest and expertise.

“We must have a well-funded and well-equipped military to defend our interests, and look after veterans when they return home,” he wrote.

He also signalled a willingness to challenge Ms Chaney on climate matters.

“Curtin needs an MP who will hold Labor to account, unlike the current independent MP. We need to have a pragmatic, logical, evidence-based approach to deal with environmental issues and climate change,” he said.

WA is shaping as a key battleground at the next election, with Labor’s ability to retain the seats it won there in 2022 likely to be central to whether it remains in government in its own right.

Similarly, Curtin is a must-win seat for the Liberals if the ­Coalition is to return to power.

Some Liberals are highly confident Curtin will swing back to the party, given factors at play in 2022. Scott Morrison was on the nose in the west, while the state was in the thrall of then-premier Mark McGowan. The Curtin preselection is on February 24.