The resignation of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has set in motion a by-election in the Sydney shire seat of Cook with consultant Simon Kennedy selected to try and retain the Liberal Party stronghold.
The 41-year-old Mr. Kennedy, a former partner at McKinsey and Company, was installed as the candidate after winning 158 votes during a pre-selection process, achieving an absolute majority, and easily beating three other candidates including Sutherland Shire Mayor Carmelo Pesce with 90 votes.
Gwen Cherne, who became the veteran family advocate commissioner in 2020 after her husband, a war veteran, committed suicide, came third with 35 votes, despite having the backing of former Prime Minister John Howard. The fourth candidate, Ben Britton, came in fourth with 13 votes.
There had been hope that Ms. Cherne would be promoted to bolster the number of female MPs in the party, which currently sits at around 30 percent. In 2023, Scott Morrison said he “would love to see a woman follow me as the member for Cook when I choose to retire from politics.”
Mr. Kennedy was not publically endorsed by the now-retiring Mr. Morrison, but had the support of former Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the former NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, and strong backing from the party’s moderate voters.
The confidence shown in Mr. Kennedy comes despite his losing to Labor candidate Jerome Laxale in the contest for the division of Bennelong in the 2022 federal election—a result that saw the Liberals ousted from what was traditionally considered a safe seat once occupied by former Prime Minister Howard.
In April 2022, a video also emerged showing Mr. Kennedy supporting a group critical of vaccines and lockdowns called, A Stand in the Park. Speaking with the group, Mr. Kennedy said he opposed vaccine mandate legislation, even offering to cross parliament’s floor in a vote should it be implemented.
“I would oppose that. That’s core to the individual freedoms,” Mr. Kennedy said.
At a later date, he offered up a statement to media saying he was, “A strong supporter of the COVID vaccination effort that has saved the lives of 40,000 Australians.”
To some observers the contest for Cook, which covers parts of Sydney’s affluent Cronulla, is a fait accompli such is the Liberal Party’s dominance in the electorate.
Despite losing ground during the 2022 election, Mr. Morrison still held a 12-and-a-half percent margin over his closest rival, and it is speculated that Labor will not even invest in fronting a candidate.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told ABC Radio that Labor had no expectations to win Cook, and on March 4, attacked the Liberal Party for the probability of them selecting a male to contest the seat.
