Liberal candidate for Kurrajong Mick Calatzis: “I know Canberra 24/7, 365.” Photo: Ian Bushnell.
The Canberra Liberals have unveiled decorated police officer Mick Calatzis as a candidate to contest the central seat of Kurrajong at the 19 October ACT election after the withdrawal of Dr Jerry Nockles, who has nominated for the party’s Senate preselection race.
Mr Calatzis is a 40-year AFP veteran who lives in the electorate and has deep ties to Kurrajong through his police work and community involvement.
Some were surprised that such a quality candidate had missed out on preselection, but Dr Nockles’ pursuit of a Senate run has given Mr Calatzis another opportunity.
Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee would not comment on Dr Nockles’ Senate ambitions, saying it was an internal party matter. However, the Kurrajong preselection had been hotly contested, and the party had been fortunate to have so many good community members wanting to run.
She said Mr Calatzis brought a wealth of experience to the role.
“He is Canberran through and through, a father, grandfather, and somebody who knows the Kurrajong electorate incredibly well and has spent his entire life serving the community,” she said.
“It’s incredibly wonderful to see so many people from all walks of life put their hand up and be part of the Canberra Liberals team. We know that Mick will work incredibly hard as part of the Kurrajong and broader Canberra Liberal team to ensure that we see a change of government in October 2024.”
Mr Calatzis said he would campaign to keep Canberrans safe and cut red tape for business, particularly as his family comes from a business background.
“Business is about life, businesses is about commerce, and business is about getting people jobs, and businesses about having confidence,” he said.
Mr Calatzis said Canberrans had a good quality of life, but lately, things had not been going well, especially with the cost of living.
“Canberrans are doing it tough,” he said.
“I’ve never seen so many homeless people as well. And fundamentally, everybody in Canberra has a right to shelter, has a right to live a good life and to live a safe life as well.”
Mick Caltazis and Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee at Manuka: wealth of experience.
Unsurprisingly, Mr Calatzis said the ACT needed more police, as well as better emergency services and infrastructure to support them both.
He is also passionate about the mental health of these frontline workers, highlighted by the incidents at Bondi Junction and Wakely.
“Those frontline workers are going through a lot of pain,” Mr Calatzis said. “Canberra is not immune to that. It’s important that we support our front line to make sure that Canberrans are safe. It’s that simple.”
Mr Calatzis said his experience with the police meant that he knew the city intimately and could make a decisive difference in the development of policies.
“Well, it’s pretty simple. I don’t know Canberra, nine to five. I know Canberra 24/7, 365,” he said.
Ms Lee said Mr Calatzis’s expertise and professional background would be valuable in policy debates, “ensuring that we are representing every corner of the community in terms of what their local needs are”.
She said he was the type of candidate that reflected the diversity of the Canberra community.
“For too long, if you have a look at what’s been offered from Labor and the Greens, it just doesn’t cut the mustard,” Ms Lee said.
“But when you look at the lineup from the Canberra Liberals, we have a team that brings a wealth of life and professional experience.”
In the Senate preselection on 28 April, Dr Nockles will be up against former MLA Giulia Jones, former Legislative Assembly candidate Jacob Vadakkedathu, and Kacey Lam-Evans, who was Zed Seselja’s running mate in the disastrous 2022 campaign.
Dr Nockles was the unsuccessful Liberal candidate in the federal seat of Eden-Monaro in 2022.
He is deputy CEO of Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA).
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