Senate hopeful faces a grilling

Business-related questions hang over the head of Greg Mirabella, who is vying for preselection of a fiercely contested seat.

Senate hopeful Greg Mirabella with wife and former frontbencher Sophie Mirabella and their two daughters Alexandra and Katarina. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Victorian Senate vacancy candidate Greg Mirabella is facing questions from factional enemies over his business interests, as a fierce battle brews within the Liberal Party ahead of the preselection convention next weekend.

The farmer, former Victorian Liberal Party country vice president and husband of former frontbencher Sophie Mirabella is seen as the main rival against former assistant housing minister Sarah Henderson, for the seat of recently vacated by former communications minister Mitch Fifield.

As the rivalry between the pair intensifies ahead of a poll of up to 500 Liberal Party delegates next Sunday, Liberals who support Ms Henderson have highlighted Mr Mirabella’s involvement in Global Enviro Pty Ltd, which is listed as facing deregistration by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Mr Mirabella is listed as a director and minor shareholder in Global Enviro, which The Australian understands is an investment shell company not trading shares. It is understood ASIC announced its intention to deregister the waste-to-energy start-up because an annual fee, which has since been paid, had not been submitted.

Mr Mirabella declined to comment, citing party rules preventing preselection candidates from giving media interviews.

Critics have accused him of misleading the Liberal Party, given he has stated on his application form for the Senate vacancy that he has not been closely associated with any business which has been subject to a “winding up order or similar event”.

His defenders say the proposed deregistration of an apparently dormant entity is very different from the winding up of an insolvent company, and he therefore answered the question honestly.

“This frankly says much more about Sarah’s camp being worried that Greg’s got the numbers than it does about Greg,” one of Mr Mirabella’s supporters said.

Ms Henderson has received endorsements from many parliamentary colleagues including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Speaker Tony Smith and frontbenchers including Dan Tehan, Michael Sukkar, Jane Hume, Alan Tudge, Marise Payne.

Mr Mirabella is understood to have the support of moderates previously aligned with Senate president Scott Ryan, former minister Kelly O’Dwyer and numbers man Frank Greenstein, who has reportedly persuaded a bloc of delegates to support the former army officer and Victorian Farmers Federation delegate.

Several Liberals said there was a lack of enthusiasm for both leading candidates, and they expected turnout to be low at next week’s convention.

“Turnout at a lot of branches to elect delegates (for the convention) has been appallingly low,” said one Liberal. “Some couldn’t find people who were willing to go. There are a lot who don’t like Sarah, but they’re not convinced Greg or any of the others offer a reasonable alternative either.”

Preferences from less prominent candidates including former Member for Dunkley Chris Crewther, former Victorian upper house MP Inga Peulich, and former senate candidate Kyle Hoppitt are expected to be crucial in getting the successful candidate over the line. The most socially conservative Liberal factions are said to be split over whether to preference Ms Henderson or Mr Mirabella last.