Two put hand up for Liberal preselection in Bean

Businesswoman Jane Hiatt has previously run for the Senate. Photo: Twitter.

Two people with previous election campaign experience have put their hands up for Liberal Party preselection in the new southern Federal seat of Bean.

Thirty-nine-year-old public servant Edward Cocks’ and 52-year-old businesswoman Jane Hiatt’s nominations were formally endorsed on 10 September by the Canberra Liberals Management Committee.

Mr Cocks has a young family and lives in Monash. He previously stood as a Canberra Liberals candidate in the 2016 ACT election in the seat of Brindabella, and has lived in Tuggeranong since 1992.

Mrs Hiatt has lived in Calwell for the past 25 years and is actively engaged in a wide range of community organisations. She previously stood as the Canberra Liberals Number 2 Senate candidate in the 2016 Federal election.

Mr Cocks said in a statement that if preselected, he was looking forward to the opportunity to prove that Labor could no longer take the ACT for granted.

“The ALP’s candidate, David Smith can’t stand up for Canberra, because he is too strongly tied to his faction, and if he wins, Bean will be neglected in favour of marginal electorates,” he said.

Senator Smith, who replaced Katy Gallagher in the Upper House, successfully negotiated a move to a Lower House race when he won Labor Party preselection for Bean last month.

Mrs Hiatt said that as a small business person, she knew how hard it was to draw an income at the end of the month.

“I want to be part of a government which will knock down barriers and create opportunities for people to get ahead,” she said.

The preselection will occur on the evening of Thursday 27 September.

Canberra Liberals preselections for the seats of Canberra and Fenner are likely to occur in late October.

In March, the party preselected sitting Senator Zed Seselja to the number one position on the Canberra Liberals Senate ticket and Robert Gunning to the number two position.

Party policy means preselection candidates will not make any further comment to the media.