Revealed: How Tony Abbott could STILL get revenge on dumped Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull – two years after he was forced to the backbench in spiteful leadership coup
- Tony Abbott’s sister Christine Forster said she may run for the Wentworth seat
- Malcolm Turnbull will give up the east Sydney seat when he leaves parliament
- She would compete with businessman Dave Sharma for Liberal party selection
- Her brother has held a grudge against Mr Turnbull since he ousted him in 2015
Tony Abbott may not have stood in Friday’s leadership spill to replace Malcolm Turnbull, but he could still get his revenge on the man who ousted him two years ago.
The former prime minister’s sister could be in line to replace Malcolm Turnbull when he vacates the Sydney seat of Wentworth.
Christine Forster said once Turnbull leaves parliament, which he says will be ‘not before too long’, she will consider entering the preselection fight.
Christine Forster is considering running for Malcolm Turnbull’s seat of Wentworth in eastern Sydney once the former prime minister vacates it when he leaves parliament
‘I have colleagues encouraging me to stand and I am considering doing that if and when the seat is vacated,’ she told AAP on Friday.
Businessman and former Australian ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma is considered to frontrunner for the Liberal candidacy – and NSW independent MP Alex Greenwich is also considering running.
Mr Greenwich said he remained focused on retaining his seat of Sydney in the March 2019 state election but when pushed wouldn’t rule out standing in Wentworth.
The Greens have revealed local councillor and First Nations advocate Dominic Wy Kanak will be their candidate.
Ms Forster (pictured right) will compete with businessman Dave Sharma for the Liberal Party candidacy should she run for the vacant seat
Cr Wy Kanak lives in Bondi and is deputy mayor of Waverley Council.
‘It’s time for a fresh start for Wentworth,’ he said in a statement on Friday.
Mr Abbott has held a grudge against Mr Turnbull since he was ousted in a leadership spill in 2015.
Queenland MP Warren Entsch accused Mr Abbott with fuelling division within the Liberal party through his constant criticism of party policy in the past week.
Mr Abbott has held a grudge against Mr Turnbull since he was ousted in a leadership spill in 2015. Lucy Turnbull and Malcolm Turnbull are pictured in 2016
Ms Forster has disagreed with her brother’s opposition to same-sex marriage, and filed to marry her long-term partner a week after Australia legalised it in December 2017.
Ms Forster said when the bill was passed, however, that they ‘have a great relationship as brother and sister’.
The Liberals have held Wentworth since the party’s creation in 1944. Mr Turnbull first won the seat in 2004 and claimed victory in 2016 with 62 per cent of the primary vote.
Tony Abbott and his sister Christine Forster (pictured right) have differed in terms of their political views – but Ms Forster said the pair had a ‘great relationship as brother and sister’
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