A former Liberal leader has ruled out standing for preselection ahead of the 2025 state election, while a prominent ex-state and federal ministerial advisor is weighing up a run in a new seat.
A former Liberal leader has ruled out standing for preselection ahead of the 2025 state election, while a prominent ex-state and federal ministerial advisor is weighing up a run in a new seat.
Zak Kirkup, whose name had been floated as a potential Liberal candidate in Churchlands or South Perth, has put a line through speculation by announcing he will not contest the 2025 ballot.
In a statement to LinkedIn Mr Kirkup, who led the party into the 2021 state election, said he would not be running for office.
“There may be other opportunities at future elections to contribute to my party, but that is not my focus,” he said.
“To be clear: I will not seek pre-selection for the Liberal Party for the 2025 election.”
Mr Kirkup’s statement said he was ready to support others within the party as the campaign ramped up towards state and federal elections in 2025.
“I cannot stand idly by as we face two challenging campaigns in 2025,” he said.
“I will be at the party’s service however I can to help bring about those victories I know we can achieve.”
Mr Kirkup said his continued focus would be on Kolbang, the Aboriginal-owned business he founded in 2021 and his responsibilities as business editor at the National Indigenous Times.
Meanwhile, Business News understands Anthony Spagnolo is considering nominating for preselection in the ballot for the state’s upper house.
Mr Spagnolo, who contested the 2021 state election as the Liberal candidate in the lower house seat of Riverton, has since relocated with his family to the Perth Hills and is believed to be considering his options as a Legislative Councill candidate from the East Metropolitan region.
East Metropolitan will be abolished in 2025 as part of the electoral reform which will see the 37-person upper house selected from a single state-wide ballot.
Despite that, the WA Liberal Party has committed to preference those pre-selected as number one in their respective region with a top-six position on the ballot paper.
The party is currently represented in East Metropolitan by Donna Faragher – one of six state MPs elected to the upper house from the multi-member electorate.
Mr Spagnolo was an advisor to former opposition leader Mike Nahan on a state level and was then a senior budget adviser in Mathias Cormann’s office following the Morrison government’s 2019 re-election.
Elsewhere, Lester Blades Executive Search & Board Advisory partner James Fairbairn is expected to put his hand up for preselection in the seat of Mount Lawley.
Mr Fairbairn, who has been a partner at Lester Blades for more than a decade, has worked in executive recruitment since 2006, and is chair of WestCycle’s road cycling recreation advisory group.
Mount Lawley has been held by Labor’s Simon Millman since the 2017 election and was contested in 2021 by City of Stirling councillor Suzanne Migdale.
Business News understands Ms Migdale is considering her options ahead of 2025.
The Mount Lawley electorate is historically blue-ribbon and was held by Michael Sutherland from 2008 to 2017.
Peter Hudson is another local councillor whose intentions are not yet clear.
Rockingham-raised Mr Hudson, a recruitment consultant in his early 20s, was the Liberal candidate in the Labor-stronghold federal division of Brand at the 2022 election before contesting the Rockingham by-election in July.
He was elected to the Rockingham council in October, but there has been speculation by some media that he may put his hat in the ring for Liberal preselection in South Perth.
Mr Hudson gave nothing away when asked about his plans by Business News.
“As per Party rules, I won’t comment on the preselection process for any seat, which is in the hands of local branches across WA,” he said.
City of South Perth mayor Greg Milner is expected to nominate for preselection in South Perth, but over the river the intentions of City of Perth lord mayor Basil Zempilas are less known.
Strongly linked to the Churchlands electorate, former media personality Mr Zempilas is the highest profile name yet to declare his hand ahead of 2025.
Premier Roger Cook, who along with ministers has engaged in an at-times heated back and forth with Mr Zempilas recently over the closure of a crisis centre in the city’s boundaries, was tight-lipped on the potential of the lord mayor shifting into state politics when asked at a Business News event earlier this week.
Nominees have until the end of February to put their hand up for Liberal preselection in the Churchlands electorate.
