Forrest federal member and chief government whip in the House of Representatives Nola Marino, a “legend” according to Malcolm Turnbull, has survived a pre-selection challenge ahead of the party’s State Council on Saturday.
Bunbury Liberal branch president Ben Small’s challenge was roundly rejected by the local selection committee with a vote of 51 to 16 on Monday night.
The threat to Ms Marino began with a letter to Forrest pre-selectors from her predecessor, Liberal power-broker Geoff Prosser, in which he urged delegates to ensure that the most talented and motivated candidates were selected.
Mr Prosser’s letter made no mention of Ms Marino by name but spoke of Mr Small as someone who could one day become a senior government minister or achieve even higher office.
For Mr Small those ambitions are now on hold.
Going into the pre-selection contest Ms Marino was buoyed by a letter of support from the prime minister, who told a Perth newspaper that “he could not praise her more highly.”
The prime minister’s letter described Ms Marino as “a vital conduit between the parliamentary party and the ministry.”
A similar letter of support was of no use to Dennis Jensen, whose Tangney pre-selection committee threw their votes behind former Liberal state director Ben Morton.
The seat of Forrest, held by Ms Marino since 2007, was previously held by Mr Prosser for two decades.
Mr Prosser subsequently served as president of the WA Liberal Party from 2011 to 2014.
In 2016 Ms Marino, first woman to hold the position, was promoted to chief government whip by Malcolm Turnbull after he successfully challenged Tony Abbott for the party leadership.
For some, the current pre-selection challenges are a sign that the wounds from that spill have yet to heal.
The seat of Forrest, safely in Liberal hands since 1972, includes Bunbury, Harvey, Collie, Donnybrook, Margaret River and Augusta.
