Why Groom LNP preselection vote is so significant for the Toowoomba region

Groom LNP members will tomorrow decide who they want to be their candidate for the by-election. Here’s why that secret vote is so important.

Some of the candidates for the seat of Groom.

Groom LNP members will tomorrow decide just who will be their candidate at the Groom by-election on November 28.

Party insiders have told The Chronicle they expect the vote to be close.

While seven candidates are running for preselection, it’s expected to come down to a race between Toowoomba Regional Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff and GP David van Gend, though a third consensus candidate could come in from behind.

Dr van Gend has the support of the Christian right of the party and has been endorsed by figures such as Senator Matt Canavan, Senator Eric Abetz and Toowoomba City Women’s Letitia Shelton.

Cr Vonhoff has been endorsed by former Groom MP Ian Macfarlane.

The Courier-Mail this week reported Bill Taylor, another former Groom MP, had voiced support for Cr Vonhoff and Prime Minister Scott Morrison had expressed a preference that a woman win preselection.

The mammoth event, where the seven candidates will present pitches and several rounds of voting are expected to be held until one candidate reaches over 50 per cent of the vote of party members, will begin at 1.30pm sharp.

It’s unknown when a result will be known, with some party members believing the process could last several hours.

A recent vote of party members to determine whether the next Groom LNP MP would sit in the Liberal or National party room in Canberra lasted over three hours, and that was with less than 200, of the 600, local party members attending.

No decision was reached at that meeting, so the candidate will remain sitting with the Liberals.

Other candidates for the seat include former Wellcamp Airport manager Sara Hales, farmer Bryce Camm, businessman Garth Hamilton, rural agent Andrew Meara and race car driver Daniel Cassidy.

QUT political analyst Adjunct Associate Professor John Mickel said the LNP’s preselection contest was the vote that mattered this by-election.

“It is a safe LNP seat that has never been held by Labor; and barring a political earthquake never will be,” Prof Mickel said.

“The by-election presents the LNP with an opportunity to select someone who in time will most likely be a cabinet minister or a potential leader rather than a time server.”