Tasmania’s Liberal Party has officially unveiled its first four pre-selected candidates ahead of the 2025 state election.
Former Tasmanian Senator of 28 years Eric Abetz leads the list of pre-selections for Franklin and was announced alongside current Kingborough Councillor Aldo Antolli.
Both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor of the Meander Valley Council have been nominated for Lyons, with Stephanie Cameron and Wayne Johnston joining the Rockliff Liberal Team.
Party President Michael McKenna said the four candidates bring “experience and deep community connections” to the blue team.
“Governing is a serious business and our experienced and united team stands in stark contrast to our inexperienced opponents, who continue to be divided and stand for nothing,” McKenna said.
Existing members of the Liberal Party have also been re-endorsed, including Premier Jeremy Rockliff, Felix Ellis and Roger Jaensch in Braddon, as well as Michael Ferguson and Simon Wood in Bass.
Lyons will include Guy Barnett and Mark Shelton, Franklin will feature Nic Street and Dean Young and Clark will retain Madeleine Ogilvie along with the newest MP Simon Behrakis.
The selection process for the remaining party positions will take place later this year.
READ MORE: Tasmanian Premier confirms election ‘won’t be held next week’ amid early poll speculation
Labor have called the endorsement of Eric Abetz “deeply worrying” and said his presence would pose a threat the Rockliff’s leadership.
“Eric Abetz is well known for his archaic views on things like the rights of women, the rights of lesbian, gay and transgender Tasmanians, the rights of Tasmanian workers,” MP Ella Haddad said.
“He was pushed out of the Liberal Party at a federal level because of those archaic views and now he wants to inflict them on the Tasmanian people. This is lurch to the absolute far extreme right for the Liberal Party.”
“The numbers in that conservative faction are already stacking up and moving against Jeremy Rockliff, they see his views as too moderate. They’ve already got the likes of Michael Ferguson, Simon Behrakis, Felix Ellis and Guy Barnett in their caucus room – add Eric Abetz to that mix and I think it’s only a matter of time before Jeremy Rockliff’s weak leadership issue is toppled by the far right conservatives of the Liberal Party.”
