Liberal preselection battle heats up

Intrigue and innuendo continue to surround the position of Liberal Party candidate for Lord Mayor of Sydney at September’s elections.

Nine nominees will contest preselection to be the Liberal Party candidate for Lord Mayor, a Liberal source has revealed. While Liberal
Party members are forbidden from commenting on preselection matters
until a candidate has been chosen, several Liberal nominees have been
exposed through media leaks.

The highest profile candidate is Christine Forster, the sister of Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. If preselected, Ms Forster would be the first lesbian candidate for the Liberal Party.

Liberal sources have indicated Ms Forster’s “star power” would be a
significant threat to Clover Moore’s re-election bid. However, the source said that Ms Forster will struggle to gain the “hard
numbers” required to win what is expected to be a hotly contested
preselection contest.

The source said relying on celebrity was “a bit soft” and that “it doesn’t look like she has much power in terms of raw numbers.”

The Liberal source said Edward Mandla, the President of the Liberals’
Sydney City Branch, should be considered the favourite to win
preselection. The source indicated that Mr. Mandla’s current position
indicates both his ability to win internal campaigns and his influence
over party members in the area.

“[Mr Mandla] has enough power at the local government [level] at the
branches that count to put himself as president of that area.”

Mary-Lou Jarvis, who sources indicate is backed by Malcolm Turnbull,
is also considered a strong candidate. Considered a rising star in the Liberal Party, Ms Jarvis has previously served on the Adelaide Council and was an adviser to Mr Turnbull.

Mr Turnbull’s involvement “adds another exciting element” to the
process, according to the Liberal source. The involvement of Mr Turnbull and Tony Abbott, who has publicly endorsed his sister’s campaign, adds an extra layer of intrigue to the preselection battle.

The other known candidate is Point Piper branch member Michael Carr.
The names of remaining candidates are yet to be announced.

The Liberal Party was unable to confirm when nominations will close or
when a candidate will be announced. Sources believe a candidate will not be selected until August. This will be over a month after all other parties contesting the Council elections have announced their candidates.

The Liberal Party source said the delay was caused by City of Sydney
Liberal Councillor Shayne Mallard pulling out as a Mayoral candidate.
Cr Mallard was due to be endorsed as the Liberal Party candidate but
withdrew his candidacy to seek preselection for the State seat of
Sydney. Cr Mallard’s withdrawal has opened the way for other candidates
to seek preselection.

The City of Sydney Council elections, including Lord Mayor, will be held on September 8.