STATE ELECTION
Local Liberal Party identity Ben Collier has been advised not to stand for the new seat of Sunbury, according to some party members.
The party has extended pre-selection for November’s state election after receiving no nominations by the original deadline.
Multiple party members, who asked not to be named, said nominations for the seat – which includes Sunbury and Diggers Rest – closed on February 14.
They said the local branch expected Mr Collier to stand, but he had been discouraged by key Liberal powerbrokers.
They are believed to have told other local party members that Mr Collier could not stand in Sunbury because of fallout from the 2013 federal election.
“Ben is the only one who could win the seat and defeat [Labor candidate] Josh Bull,” one member said. “Labor Party games are being played in the Liberal Party.”
Mr Collier, who withdrew as candidate for McEwen for last year’s federal election for family reasons, told the
Weekly he would not stand for the state seat. But he would not be drawn on claims he had been told not to.
“I decided that right now is not the best time for my family, and we decided not to compete this time around,” he said. “Of course, I seriously considered it and genuinely would have liked to contribute.’’
Mr Collier said he hadn’t heard claims of key Liberal Party members bad-mouthing him in the community.
Sources said Sunbury resident Adrian Lodders had been approached to stand, but he declined, saying Mr Collier was the best candidate.
In the Macedon electorate, which includes Toolern Vale and Blackwood, former upper house member Donna Petrovich looks likely to be the Liberal candidate.
Ms Petrovich, who stepped away from State Parliament last year for an ultimately unsuccessful tilt at the federal seat of McEwen, was the only name released at the close of nominations on February 14.
But sources said Ms Petrovich wasn’t among those standing for the seat when nominations originally closed on February 7. “There was then a campaign to get Donna to stand and the other two candidates were convinced to drop out on the Friday and Donna then put her nomination in.”
Ms Petrovich said she took her time making her decision and wanted to make sure it was the right move for her and the party.
TARA MURRAY
