Businessman the first name to emerge in Liberal contest for Werribee byelection
Nominations for Liberal Party endorsement close on Friday. One of the other contenders is rumoured to be a councillor in the western suburbs, while a third is said to be a woman.
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The Age was unable to verify the names of those people with multiple sources and so has not named them.
A Liberal MP, also speaking to this masthead on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal party matters, said earlier this week it had been difficult to find a wide range of candidates. The Liberal preselection for the seat of Warrandyte, in Melbourne’s north-eastern suburbs, attracted eight people vying for the party’s endorsement at the 2023 byelection.
But another Liberal MP, also speaking anonymously to discuss internal party matters, said there had been renewed interest since Opposition Leader Brad Battin took over the leadership from John Pesutto.
“Having Battin as leader has triggered renewed hope in the west,” the MP said.
In his first sit-down interview since his frontbench reshuffle, Battin reiterated his commitment to focus on Melbourne’s growth suburbs.
John Lister, Labor’s candidate for Werribee, with Premier Jacinta Allan this week.Credit: Paul Jeffers
The Victorian Speaker confirmed the Werribee byelection would be held on Saturday, February 8, following Pallas’ formal resignation on Monday.
Werribee voters will head to the polls the same day as voters in the inner-city seat of Prahran, where a byelection will be held following the resignation of Sam Hibbins as a Greens MP.
Prahran is considered to be a Greens-versus-Liberal contest after Labor decided not to field a candidate.
However, Labor has chosen teacher and CFA volunteer John Lister to run in Werribee, which Pallas held for 18 years. Lister has already been doorknocking the electorate of about 46,000 voters alongside senior Allan government ministers.
The Liberals are expected to officially announce their candidate for Werribee by next week. The party is hopeful of making gains in the outer-suburban seat off the back of Labor’s 10 years in government.
While Werribee is considered Labor heartland, Pallas’ two-party preferred margin slipped from 15 per cent to 10 per cent in recent years.
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