Martin Bella put forward to tackle seat of Dawson

Former Queensland rugby league prop Martin Bella is among the big names being touted to replace Coalition MP George Christensen in the federal seat of Dawson.

Dawson MP George Christensen will be stepping down at the end of the current term of parliament. Picture: Matt Taylor.

Former Queensland rugby league prop Martin Bella is among the big names being touted to replace Coalition MP George Christensen in the federal seat of Dawson.

Mr Christensen announced his shock decision to retire from federal politics on Thursday night, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.

The controversial MP’s resignation at the end of the current term has caused a headache for Scott Morrison, who needs the Coalition to perform well in Queensland to be returned as Prime Minister at the looming federal election.

Mr Bella, 57, did not return calls to The Australian on Thursday, however sources within the LNP said the former State of Origin and Australia representative was being urged to run for preselection.

If he runs for Dawson, Mr Bella will tread a well-worn path from the Mackay council chamber to Parliament House.

Mr Christensen was a councillor for two terms before being elected to federal parliament in 2010, serving for four terms.

Mr Bella was elected to his second term on the Mackay Regional Council last year and has been active in the “Green shirts” movement representing landholders opposed to the Palaszczuk government’s vegetation management law changes and has the backing of sugarcane and beef farmers.

State LNP MP Dale Last told The Australian he would not be vying for the federal seat, instead choosing to concentrate on his Burdekin electorate, between the Whitsundays and Townsville, where he is one of the few LNP MPs to improve their margin at last year’s state election.

“My focus is on the Burdekin electorate,” Mr Last said.

“I’ve got a very strong attachment to the electorate and at this stage I’m ruling it out.”

Mr Last, whose electorate sits in the northern part of Dawson, wished Mr Christensen well.

“He’s certainly worked hard for the electorate and deserves the opportunity to go on and do something different,” Mr Last said.

Another former Mackay councillor, Chris Bonanno, has also been named as a potential candidate.

Mr Bonanno ran for the seat of Mackay in last year’s state election, increasing the LNP’s vote by 7.2 per cent, but losing to incumbent Labor MP Julieanne Gilbert.

He declined to comment when asked about his potential candidacy on Friday.

“I reckon preselection is going to be a huge field,” one local party source said of the preselection race.