Liberals and Nationals across the country facing grassroots challenges

Liberal and Nationals MPs across the country face grassroots campaigns to install independent candidates, with ministers including Greg Hunt, Barnaby Joyce, Paul Fletcher, Angus Taylor and Stuart Robert all being targeted.

The “voices for” campaigns are modelled on successful efforts to install independents Cathy McGowan and then Helen Haines in the seat of Indi in Victoria, Rebekha Sharkie in Mayo and Zali Steggall in Warringah in the last few electoral cycles. Ms McGowan, now retired from Parliament, is active in advising and assisting some of these new groups.

Health Minister Greg HuntCredit:Scott McNaughton

ABC election analyst Antony Green said the success of independent campaigns in electorates such as Mr Hunt’s seat of Flinders was hugely dependent on who was selected. “People will vote for a political party but if it’s an independent, they really need a big name. People will not vote for an independent that they don’t know,” he said.

Mr Hunt faces a push by the Voices of Mornington Peninsula, which will close nominations in its search for a challenger on August 15. In North Sydney, three groups lining up to unseat moderate Liberal backbencher Trent Zimmerman: North Sydney’s Independent, Voices of North Sydney and Time’s Up Trent.

While Mr Hunt and Mr Zimmerman are at different stages of their political careers, both men hold relatively affluent seats where effective action on climate change is important for voters.

Voices of Mornington Peninsula chair Louise Page, a community activist who led the campaign against a gas import terminal in the area, says the group wants to “raise the level of politics and bring back participatory democracy”.

“We want to make it so people are proud of politics rather than hating it. We don’t think political parties represent our views,” she said.

The issues raised with her by locals include “integrity, representatives who listen and then the environment, climate change and the importance of aged care”.

Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman, a moderate, faces a challenge from a grass roots campaign.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

North Sydney’s Independent founder Kristen Lock says that “after six years of Trent, with absolutely no action or climate change, our only choice was to go political, to stand a candidate to beat him at the next election”.

“Someone who would take on climate action as a priority, not just talk about, but vote for it. His vote against Zali’s bill in the parliament has infuriated many voices in the North Sydney electorate who want action on climate change. A federal ICAC comes right behind that.

“Rorts are mentioned all the time. People are disgusted by rorts. Nobody’s saying, ‘Oh, you know, that’s what you do in politics’. Nobody’s saying that to us.”

Already there is chatter in Liberal ranks that Mr Hunt - who has held the seat for 20 years - may consider stepping down at the next election and at least two candidates - Zoe McKenzie, a former adviser to Trade Minister Andrew Robb and Mark Brudenell, an adviser to former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull - have been floated for Flinders.

Mr Hunt has helped lead Australia’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and while he and the federal government have been criticised for the slow pace of the vaccine roll out - a criticism that has grown as Australian states have repeatedly been forced back into lockdown over the past two months - his capacity for hard work is widely respected across government.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s decision to put Lieutenant-General JJ Frewen in charge of the vaccine rollout has stoked discussion among Liberal MPs that Mr Hunt has been sidelined.

One Victorian MP who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “He couldn’t go now but maybe by Christmas, when the rollout is at 70 or 80 per cent, he could announce it.”

Mr Hunt faced a challenge from former Liberal MP Julia Banks at the 2019 election and while he held the seat, his two-party-preferred margin was trimmed from 7.8 per cent to 5.6 per cent. A spokesman for Mr Hunt told The Sun-Herald he was “pre-selected and running” for Flinders at the next election.

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James Massola is political correspondent for the Sun-Herald & Sunday Age. He won the Kennedy award for Outstanding Foreign Correspondent while posted in Jakarta and wrote The Great Cave Rescue. He was previously chief political correspondent.

Anne Hyland is an award-winning writer and a senior correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. She was previously deputy editor of Good Weekend and has worked for The AFR and as a foreign correspondent. Email Anne at ahyland@smh.com.au

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