John Elliott may run in Victorian election

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/24/john-elliott-may-stand-for-victorian-parliament

Version 0 of 1.

A former president of the Carlton football club and one-time Liberal party president, John Elliott, may run for the Hawthorn seat being vacated by Victoria’s former Liberal premier Ted Baillieu, according to reports.

On Friday Baillieu announced he would not contest the blue ribbon eastern suburbs seat he has held since 1999 and that he would quit politics at the 29 November poll.

Elliott said he believed he could help the chances of the premier, Denis Napthine, being re-elected.

“I could help them along a bit, I think,” the controversial businessman told the Sunday Age.

“I only learnt about it on Friday at about half past five so I’ve said I would contemplate it and make a decision within a week.”

Elliott held the position of president of Carlton for two decades before being sacked in 2002 for breaching salary cap rules. He was federal president of the Liberal party in 1987. In 2012 he tried to stage a political comeback by running for Melbourne city council.

Other potential contenders for the seat include the director of the Institute of Public Affairs, John Roskam, and Napthine’s legal counsel, John Pesutto. The community services minister, Mary Wooldridge, has not confirmed if she will run and was not available when Guardian Australia called on Sunday.

On Saturday the health minister, David Davis, ruled out running for the seat.

The party’s administrative committee will meet on Monday to discuss preselection. With the election fewer than 100 days away, the party may decide against a lengthy preselection and instead nominate a replacement.