Voters in the Sydney seat of Cook will head back to the polls this year after former prime minister Scott Morrison announced his plan to leave politics as several names enter the race to take his place.
Key points:
- Scott Morrison announced he will leave politics at the end of February
- Mr Morrison's leaving prompts a by-election for his Sydney seat of Cook
- Several candidate hopefuls are said to have put their hat in the ring for the seat including a mayor, a former politician and former Liberals
After more than 16 years in parliament, Mr Morrison said he would leave politics at the end of February and take up new roles in "the global corporate sector."
"Now is the time to move on and enable a new member to be elected who can bring fresh energy and a long-term commitment to serving our local community in this role," he said.
Known as "the Shire", the Liberal safe seat in Sydney's south covers suburbs including Rockdale, Sans Souci, Cronulla and Kurnell.
While a date is yet to be set for the by-election, a handful of names have already been suggested on who could run — including a mayor, a former politician and former Liberal candidates.
Some sources within the party claim Carmelo Pesce, the mayor of Sutherland Shire Council, is the frontrunner as he already has strong brand recognition in the electorate.
Simon Kennedy, who was the Liberal candidate for Bennelong in the last federal election, is expected to also put his hand up.
Former New South Wales premier Mike Baird's name has also been suggested by some within the party, given his family connections to the area.
His father Bruce Baird was elected as the member for Cook in 1998 and retired prior to the 2007 federal election when Scott Morrison took the seat.
However, Mr Baird is an unlikely candidate for two reasons: he doesn't live in the area and there are also suggestions he could run for the Liberal party in the northern beaches Sydney seat of Mackellar in the next federal election.
Liberal women for the job
Liberal Party sources have said Mr Morrison would prefer a female candidate and would use it as an opportunity to illustrate his support for higher female representation within the party.
Both Melanie Gibbons and Gwen Cherne are thought to be considering running for the Liberal candidacy.
Both women put up their hands to become the Liberal candidate for Hughes in the 2022 federal election after Craig Kelly quit the party.
A former New South Wales politician who now works in the private sector, Ms Gibbons was not successful despite receiving support.
The Veteran Family Advocate Commissioner, Ms Cherne is an Australian war widow from suicide and the mother of a serving member of the Australian Defence Force.
She was also interested in running for Hughes but was not eligible at the time because she was a dual citizen carrying US citizenship, which she has since renounced.
Jenny Ware became the successful Liberal candidate for Hughes and won the seat in 2022.
In a statement, Mr Morrison said he was hopeful there would be several candidates.
"I have made this announcement about my parliamentary departure today to give my party time to engage in a proper and inclusive process to select a new candidate for the Liberal Party in Cook," he said.
"I hope to see, and invite, a strong field of candidates to bring their experience, passion and dedication to our community, to the job.
"I look forward to supporting that successful candidate in their local campaign."
Executive Director of Hilma's network Charlotte Mortlock, which was established to boost female representation in the Liberal Party, said there needed to be more women representing the party.
"In seats held by the Liberal Party we need to preselect women if we are going to shift the dial on gender representation," she said.
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2024-01-23 18:58:41Z
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