Cade Lucas
The Liberal Party has finally selected candidates to contest the inner-west seats of Fraser and Gellibrand at the upcoming federal election, more than a week after it was called.
On Saturday, April 5, the Victoria Liberal Party announced local businessman and Indian migrant Satish Patel as its candidate for the seat of Fraser and former Australian Tax Office employee Ben Reeson as its candidate for Gellibrand.
The delay in announcing candidates for the two safe Labor seats is being attributed to section 44 of the Constitution which disqualifies dual citizens from being members of parliament.
The Liberal’s original candidate for Fraser, Luan Walker, was forced to resign in March when it was revealed he still held dual Vietnamese citizenship.
It’s believed an extended vetting process to avoid a similar scenario occurring in Gellibrand led to Mr Reeson’s candidacy being announced eight days after the May 3 election was called.
The addition of Liberal candidates means the field for both seats is now set, with Mr Patel joining the Greens’ Huon Truong and Victoria Socialists’ Jasmine Duff in contesting Fraser, which is held by Labor’s Dr Daniel Mulino.
With a margin of more than 16 per cent, Fraser, which covers much of Maribyrnong and Brimbank, is one of the government’s safest seats.
To the south, Gellibrand is also a Labor stronghold with Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Tim Wattas enjoying a margin of 11 per cent.
His selection as Liberal candidate means Mr Reeson joins the Greens’ Ponraj Krishna Pandi and Family First’s Jo Garcia and contesting the seat which takes all of Hobsons Bay and parts of Maribyrnong and Wyndham.
It’s unknown if either Liberal candidate lives in the electorates they will contest, with both having fought elections elsewhere.
In last October’s municipal elections, Mr Patel stood as an independent candidate for Wyndham council in Wimba ward, losing out to Josh Gilligan.
At the 2018 state election, Mr Reeson was the Liberal Party candidate for the seat of Niddrie where he lost to Labor incumbent and now deputy premier, Ben Carroll.
Both Mr Patel and Mr Reeson were contacted for comment.
