The New South Wales minister Andrew Constance is expected to put his hand up to be the Liberal candidate in the Eden-Monaro byelection, although party sources aren’t yet certain when he will flag his intentions publicly.
Discussions were under way on Monday between Constance and senator Jim Molan, who has been touted as another potential Liberal candidate. John Barilaro, the deputy premier of NSW and state Nationals leader – who has wanted to switch to the federal arena for some time – ruled himself out of contention on Monday.
The byelection has been triggered by the retirement of the sitting Labor member, Mike Kelly, on health grounds. The Labor party’s national executive on Monday preselected Kristy McBain, the Bega Valley shire mayor, as its candidate.
In a message distributed on social media, the Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, styled McBain as the local champion in the contest. “When it really mattered, Kristy was there for her community,” Albanese said.
“She led them through their darkest days during the bushfire crisis – and now she’s fighting to be their voice in parliament.”
The Liberal party is keen for Constance to run because of the profile he gained during the summer of catastrophic bushfires. While Scott Morrison struggled to connect on the fire grounds, Constance cut an empathetic figure during the crisis.
After Morrison’s visit to Cobargo, where the prime minister was heckled, Constance declared: “To be honest with you, the locals probably gave him the welcome that he probably deserved.”
Constance went on to demand that Morrison “open up the cheque books, help people rebuild their lives”.
The electorate, in south-east NSW, has been hard hit, first by drought, then by bushfires and now by the coronavirus pandemic. Many residents who lost their homes over the summer are still living in temporary accommodation.
Kelly, a former military man, had a strong personal vote in the marginal seat, and the looming contest comes during a time when social distancing will complicate campaigning on the ground.
