Former Wallabies player Bill Calcraft eyes Bronwyn Bishop’s Sydney seat
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Version 0 of 1. Liberals are openly declaring interest in Bronwyn Bishop’s seat amid speculation she will not recontest it at the next election. Former Wallabies player and businessman Bill Calcraft, a Liberal party member who has run for the New South Wales upper house, says while he has no plans to challenge Bishop he would put his hand up for preselection if she resigned. Related: Bronwyn Bishop: formidable political warrior who walked a rocky road Bishop has held the blue ribbon northern Sydney seat of Mackellar for more than two decades and it is currently on a margin of 15.7%. There have been questions about her future in the seat since her resignation as Speaker over her use of entitlements. “I’m not really in a position to comment on what Bishop is doing,” Calcraft said when asked if he thought Bishop would resign. “It’s been her seat for a very long time, if she decided not to continue then obviously there’s an opportunity to put your hand up.” Calcraft said he had been approached by a number of people about running in the seat if Bishop resigns. Calcraft spent many years living and working in London but said he was born and bred in the suburb of Freshwater. Calcraft said he was not surprised when he did not get preselection to run on the Liberal upper house ticket this year but thinks a run for Mackellar would go differently. “I learned quite a lot really [by running for NSW upper house position],” he said. “I learnt how the Liberal party works in a lot of ways. I understand the process, clearly I hadn’t been around that long, I wasn’t that well known in the party. There are lots of good people who have done lots of good work over the years, I can see how that’s favoured, but I’m back, I have quite a lot of experience.” Bishop, who is said to have an iron-like grip on the Liberal party branches in her electorate, has favoured her chief of staff, Damien Jones, as her replacement. Asked if Jones would be his main competition for the seat, Calcraft responded: “I don’t know, I can’t comment on that, I can understand that, I think I’ll get good support from the party.” Calcraft said he has been friends with the prime minister, whose electorate neighbours Mackellor, for years. “I have not specifically [approached him] on this particular seat, I’ve mentioned my interest in running for party to Tony. I would hope Tony would think it’s a positive,” he said. “I know how it works and Mrs Bishop may well continue [in the seat], that’s fine, it’s her seat as far as I’m concerned.” |