Labor picks Professor Reg Coutts as candidate for Mayo

A telecommunications consultant and academic will contest the Mayo by-election for the Labor party in July.

Professor Reg Coutts is the Labor Party’s candidate for the Mayo by-election.

A telecommunications consultant and academic will contest the Mayo by-election for the Labor party in July.

Professor Reg Coutts worked as a professor of telecommunications at the University of Adelaide before establishing his own consultancy firm. Prof Coutts is standing against Liberal candidate Georgina Downer and Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie, who held the South Australian federal seat but was forced to resign over dual citizenship.

He won preselection over Alice Dawkins, the daughter of former federal treasurer John Dawkins and Maggie Dawkins, an adviser to former Labor leader Kim Beazley. Prof Coutts and Ms Dawkins were the only two formal nominations considered by the Labor state executive at a Wednesday night meeting.

The Greens have selected Ngarrindjeri elder Major “Moogy” Sumner as their candidate, on a platform based on saving the River Murray.

AAP