Warren Mundine will not nominate for the Liberal Senate seat vacated after late NSW senator Jim Molan’s death, he told Crikey.
Nominations for the seat close on Thursday, and Mundine’s name had been thrown around amid speculation about who the Liberal Senate hopefuls might be.
“I’m not running because I’ve got a commitment to my family and to my business partners,” Mundine said.
The Indigenous former Labor president, who ran as a Liberal for the seat of Gilmore in 2019, has launched a campaign against the First Nations Voice to Parliament, which began running ads in regional media this week.
“I’ve made a personal decision not to run, due to my family and businesses. In the next 18 months I will try and dance through this No campaign,” he said.
Andrew Constance, another Liberal who has also had a go at Gilmore in the past, is understood to be a likely candidate who would have a good chance of winning the Senate spot.
The former NSW transport minister is being sold to other Liberals as a regionally based option with cross-factional support and a strong track record in government, sources said.
He declined to comment when contacted by Crikey.
Constance came within a few hundred votes of taking Gilmore from Labor at the last election, and won more primary votes than his incumbent opponent.
Former Warringah candidate Katherine Deves has confirmed her intention to nominate.
“I’m disappointed that Warren Mundine has declined to nominate, as he is a necessary and integral participant in the Voice debate,” she told Crikey.
“I have been repeatedly encouraged to nominate by senior members of the Liberal Party and at this stage, I am intending to nominate.”
Liberal Party rules prevent candidates from speaking publicly. It’s not clear if Deves’ choice to comment would impact her bid for the Senate spot.
The next Liberal senator will be chosen by hundreds of party delegates from across the state at a preselection that’s likely to take place next month.
Molan was reelected in 2022 to a six-year term and died in January.
If they run with Katherine Deves, it will be another nail in the Liberal party rotting coffin.
Neither has any merit. That’s the LNP’s problem.
All the potential candidates Liberals might expect to attract in the political centre now have a better option. Standing as a Teal. Only the conservative/religious/right are advantaged by being backed by the party.
Now between Ferry McFerryface Constance, the most damaging transport minster in NSW history & a homophobic bigot.
The depth in the Liberal party continues to astound.
Not running. Good. It is too hard to work out which side of politics he is on. Catherine Deves would be a good fit for the current crop of Liberals.
Which side?…………
No question.
His own.
His only game plan has always been to get paid by the tax-payer – never cared how or why or what.
Yes. Never forget that like Mark Latham he is a ‘rat’. He always seems to get an easy run in the media- the SKY crowd seem to love him; never any hard questions about his motivations or behaviour. How can someone be a complete turncoat and still be trusted???
He was overlooked for an ALP Senate seat in 2010 or 2011. Bob Carr, not surprisingly got it. Now he’s trying to become a Liberal Senator; same State just a different party!!!!
Exactly. I don’t think he knows what his political beliefs are. He contradicts himself all the time.
I watched The Drum last night – Mundine was a panellist. I have never before seen him on anything other than a quick tv news grab. He was tedious, kept interrupting other speakers, always had to have the last word. Even the ever-patient John Barron had to stop him when he started ever further away from the topic. No shrinking violet there.
Devious can probably also say that she is being urged to nominate by tens of thousands of Labor members and supporters.
They will be torn – won’t want her hateful, divisive and ignorant behaviour foisted upon us all, but eager to see her demonstrate that she is so far removed from ordinary voters of decency who seem to be over culture wars stuff that they are more likely to turn to Labor if they don’t have a fab independent to turn to.
No wonder Karen Andrews has given the Liberal Party up as incapable of learning and a hopeless bet for her professional future.
I wonder if Labor is counting on moves like this in its Stage 3 tax cut calculations? Don’t want to do anything to upset well off Liberal voters that might look its way if candidates like Deves are dished up to voters?
Yeah, her preselection would be another nail in the coffin of the Liberals.
But it’s so not worth the pain inflicted on vulnerable trans kids.
I very much agree but party power brokers don’t seem to worry terribly much about the harm they do to people or the broader national interest.