The Liberals have joined the race for votes in the Lower Hunter, endorsing councillor Sally Halliday as their candidate for Maitland and young university graduate Blake Keating for Newcastle.
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Neither nomination has been announced officially, but it is understood both will start campaigning soon for the March 23 state election.
Ms Halliday, a teacher and former deputy mayor, will try to unseat Labor’s Jenny Aitchison in Maitland after parliamentary secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald decided last week not to run.
St Vincent de Paul Society events coordinator Jenny Barrie is likely to take on Labor incumbent Jodie Harrison in Charlestown, and lawyer Nell McGill is understood to be a potential candidate in the federal election in Shortland, held by Labor’s Pat Conroy.
The Liberals endorsed Jaimie Abbott as their candidate for the marginal seat of Port Stephens in August but have been slow to fill vacancies in other Hunter seats in which they are long shots.
Charlestown, Swansea, Lake Macquarie, Wallsend and Cessnock remain without endorsed Liberal candidates less than eight weeks before the election.
HUNTER ELECTORATES
NEWCASTLE
- Held by: Tim Crakanthorp (ALP)
- Margin: 7.4%
- History: Libs’ Tim Owen resigned in 2014 over ICAC scandal.
- Liberal candidate: Blake Keating
CHARLESTOWN
- Held by: Jodie Harrison (ALP)
- Margin: 12.9%
- History: Libs’ Andrew Cornwell resigned in 2014 over ICAC scandal.
- Liberal candidate: Jenny Barrie (likely)
WALLSEND
- Held by: Sonia Hornery (ALP)
- Margin: 20.8%
- History: Always Labor since seat was reformed in 1968.
- Liberal candidate: ?
SWANSEA
- Held by: Yasmin Catley (ALP)
- Margin: 13%
- History: Ms Catley won marginal Liberal seat in a landslide in 2015 after incumbent Garry Edwards was disendorsed over ICAC scandal.
- Liberal candidate: ?
LAKE MACQUARIE
- Held by: Greg Piper (Ind)
- Margin: 10.7%
- History: Held by Mr Piper since 2007.
- Liberal candidate: ?
- Labor candidate: Jo Smith
PORT STEPHENS
- Held by: Kate Washington (ALP)
- Margin: 4.7%
- History: Two-term Libs incumbent Craig Baumann withdrew endorsement in 2015 over ICAC scandal.
- Liberal candidate: Jaimie Abbott
MAITLAND
- Held by: Jenny Aitchison (ALP)
- Margin: 13.8%
- History: Ms Aitchison won in a landslide in 2015 after retirement of Liberal incumbent Robyn Parker.
- Liberal candidate: Sally Halliday
CESSNOCK
- Incumbent: Clayton Barr (ALP)
- Margin: 22%
- History: Labor since 1991 but was marginal before Mr Barr’s big win in 2015.
- Liberal/National candidate: ?
UPPER HUNTER
- Held by: Michael Johnsen (Nat)
- Margin: 2.2%
- History: Has never voted Labor but came close with Martin Rush last time. Mr Rush withdrew in January over an anonymous letter alleging an altercation with a female flatmate.
- Labor candidate: Melanie Dagg
Deeper reading: NSW election 2019
- Objectors say Environment Ministers approval of Wallarah coal mine will cost key seat (January 21, 2019)
- Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair says only 'very brave person' would remove shark nets despite drum-line trial (January 21, 2019)
- Newcastle Art Gallery expansion project grows beyond $40m as Tim Crakanthorp revives Labor funding commitment (January 21, 2019)
- Liberals' Scot MacDonald out of running for Newcastle, Maitland (January 21, 2019)
- Long road ahead for Nelson Bay despite Gladys Berejiklian funding commitment (January 20, 2019)
- Labor lines up Cessnock deputy mayor Melanie Dagg to replace Martin Rush as Upper Hunter candidate (January 19, 2019)
- Greens announce candidates for Newcastle and Wallsend (January 17, 2019)
- Premier Gladys Berejiklian says extra $100m Hunter Water dividend will flow into state's consolidated revenue (January 15, 2019)
- Premier Gladys Berejiklian announces another $205 million for Nelson Bay Road upgrade (Janaury 15, 2019)
- Liberal Party spends $700m in Newcastle but no candidates in sight (January 15, 2019)
Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
