Women vie for Andrew Broad’s seat of Mallee

A long list of largely ­female contenders are vying to replace the seat vacated by disgraced Nationals MP Andrew Broad.

Mr Broad won Mallee by a margin of 21.3 per cent in 2016. Picture: Kym Smith

Social worker and Mildura local Anne Webster has become the first person to publicly announce that she will put her name forward for National Party preselection in the seat being ­vacated by disgraced MP Andrew Broad.

Dr Webster is expected to be joined by a long list of largely ­female contenders to represent the Nationals in the prized northwest Victorian seat of Mallee, which will be a three-cornered contest including a Liberal candidate and several independents.

Deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie remains tight-lipped over whether she will seek preselection.

A resident of Mallee for 42 years, 59-year-old Dr Webster recent­ly completed a sociology PhD at the Australian National University on adoption in Australia.

In 2011, she founded young mother support organisation Zoe Support Australia, which has since assisted more than 150 mothers aged 13-23 to re-engage with education.

Dr Webster ran against Mr Broad for preselection in 2013 but says the political landscape has “changed significantly” since then, with the rise of independents in traditionally conservative seats such as Indi, Mayo and Wentworth.

“A lot of the voting public in Australia is feeling a little bit ­disillusioned with politics,” but I believe change is possible if the right ­people put themselves forward to provide their communities with the excellent representation they deserve,” Dr Webster said.

The grandmother of six said she and her husband, local GP Philip Webster, had been Nationals members for some years and shared party values including equality of opportunity, economic and community participation, and social responsibility.

Nominations for Nationals Party preselection in Mallee open on January 4, with party members due to select their successful candidate on January 19.

Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh has called for a ­female candidate, with Dried Fruits Australia chief Anne ­Mansell, Birchip Cropping Group chairwoman Caroline Welsh and former Citrus Australia chairwoman Tanya Chapman all being spoken of as potential contenders.

Senator McKenzie has refused to rule out putting her name forward­, but did not respond to calls yesterday.

Several Mallee-based Nationals members said Senator McKenzie’s lack of a connectio­n to the local area would count against her.

Senator McKenzie grew up in Alexandra, in the northeast Victorian seat of Indi, and recently announced she was moving her office from Bendigo, in central Victoria, to Wodonga, in the northeast.

The move was seen as preparation for a tilt at Indi should sitting independent Cathy McGowan retire — potentially giving Senator McKenzie the lower house seat she would need to become Nationals leader.

Mr Broad won Mallee by a margin of 21.3 per cent in 2016, but the Nationals lost the corresponding state seat of Mildura to former Labor mayor turned independent Ali Cupper on November 24.

Sky News commentator and former Tony Abbott chief of staff Peta Credlin is being encouraged to run for the Liberals in Mallee, having grown up in the local town of Wycheproof.

Ms Credlin did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.

Farmer and former Yarriambiak mayor Ray Kingston, 41, launched a pre-prepared campaign as an independent soon after news broke of Mr Broad’s demise, while ceramic tiler and former Mildura deputy mayor Jason Modica, 49, is still considering whether to run as an independent.