2001 Election Candidate Update
GROOM (Qld) - Aug 28 - The Minister for Small Business, Ian Macfarlane, under fire over allegations of GST rorting by his Groom Federal Electorate Council, now faces the prospect of a well-known independent candidate running against him in the election.
Tony Bourke, a former Liberal member of State Parliament, and a former Mayor of Toowoomba, the largest population centre in Groom, is considering a run for the seat. Bourke is reported as describing Macfarlane as "very abrasive and unpleasant".
The National Party will also contest Groom. The presence of three candidates competing for the conservative vote could endanger the Liberal Party's 13% hold on the seat.
FLINDERS (Vic) - Aug 26 - Greg Hunt was won Liberal Party preselection for Flinders. In a ballot conducted last night, Hunt defeated a number of contenders. He is the son of the former Liberal leader in the Victorian Legislative Council, Alan Hunt.
Flinders is being vacated by the Defence Minister, Peter Reith, who has held the seat since 1984.
QUEENSLAND - Aug 25 - The Queensland National Party has announced that it will run candidates against the Liberal Party in a number of electorates, including the urban seats of Bowman, Brisbane, Griffith and Ryan.
The National Party's management committee has also decided to run a candidate against Bob Katter in Kennedy. Katter defected to run as an independent last month. NP members in Kennedy are opposed to contesting the seat against Katter, fearing this will invite retaliation from One Nation.
FLINDERS (Vic) - Aug 25 - Two candidates have emerged as the frontrunners for Liberal Party endorsement for Peter Reith's seat of Flinders. They are Greg Hunt, son of former State Liberal MP and minister, Alan Hunt. Grey Hunt is a management consultant who used to work as an adviser to Foreign Affairs minister, Alexander Downer.
Hunt is opposed by Paul Nettlebeck, an Information Technology manager. Also standing are Neil Burgess, president of the East Kew branch, Frank Calcott, a primary school headmaster, and David Morris, a businessman. The preselection takes place this weekend.
The Age also reports today that there is some discontent in the ALP over its candidate, Wayne Finch. A member of the Maritime Union of Australia, Finch was chosen when the ALP still expected Reith to contesting the seat. There is little chance of Finch being disendorsed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 
