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Kevin Andrews toppled in preselection battle for Menzies

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Kevin Andrews toppled in preselection battle for MenziesWe’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.DismisscloseAdvertisementBy Log in, or to save articles for later.Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text sizeAdvertisementVeteran Liberal MP Kevin Andrews, a former defence minister and the longest continuously serving member of Federal Parliament, has become the first federal Liberal since 1990 to be unseated in a party preselection in Victoria.Former special forces captain and Cambridge-educated barrister Keith Wolahan toppled the 65-year-old social conservative in a vote to decide the party’s candidate for the blue-ribbon Melbourne seat of Menzies on Sunday.Mr Wolahan, 43, comfortably beat Mr Andrews with 181 votes to 111.Standing alongside Treasurer Josh Frydenberg following the preselection decision, Mr Wolahan said it was a vote “for the future”.“I just want to begin by thanking Kevin Andrews – days like today aren’t easy, but it was never a referendum on Kevin’s record, which he and our Liberal Party members are very proud of,” Mr Wolahan said just before 5.30pm.“Today was a vote by the members for the future and I’m extremely proud of that. I have work to do in reaching out to the people of Menzies and winning their trust and fighting for them, and I will start doing [it] tomorrow.”Mr Andrews separately held a short press conference with Mr Frydenberg about 5pm, telling reporters he would complete the remainder of his term in Parliament and would “serve Australia” in other ways after the next election.“I wish my successor well,” he said. “I wish that in the future the Liberal Party will remain united, stable, strong, so that it can provide the government we all want for Australia; that we can meet the challenges of the future and we can make this country an even better country for our children and grandchildren.”AdvertisementSources inside the preselection event, held in Ivanhoe, said Mr Wolahan received hostile questioning about why he was challenging a candidate who was endorsed by a sitting prime minister and two former leaders – Tony Abbott and John Howard.Mr Andrews was backed by the conservative faction in the party, led by Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar, and the result is a blow to Mr Frydenberg, who supported his colleague during the preselection campaign. Former prime minister Mr Abbott and senior federal ministers, including Greg Hunt, made calls to delegates on behalf of Mr Andrews last week.Mr Wolahan campaigned on a call for renewal in Menzies. He did not seek high-profile endorsements, but was backed by more moderate elements in the party.Mr Frydenberg told delegates after voting commenced that he would support whoever the successful candidate was. A total of 292 of 318 eligible delegates attended the preselection convention.He said the Liberal Party had started a “new chapter” in the seat of Menzies.“Kevin Andrews has served the people of Menzies and the people of Australia with distinction for nearly 30 years,” Mr Frydenberg said.“In that time he has held a number of senior portfolios in a Coalition government and continues to perform senior roles in Scott Morrison’s parliamentary party ... Kevin, thank you for your outstanding commitment to Liberal values, to your electorate, to your country.”The Treasurer also praised Mr Wolahan’s credentials and said the duo “performed brilliantly” during the preselection battle, which he said was “democracy in action”.Mr Wolahan was the first person to attempt to unseat a federal Liberal in Victoria since Mr Frydenberg unsuccessfully challenged Petro Georgiou in Kooyong in 2006. The last successful preselection challenge was in 1990 when future ministers Peter Costello and David Kemp won battles against sitting members Roger Shipton and Ian Macphee in the safe Liberal seats of Higgins and Goldstein.The contest was predicted to be neck-and-neck by both camps in the lead-up to Sunday’s event at Ivanhoe, where local delegates heard speeches from the two candidates and held a question and answer session.While Mr Frydenberg spoke at an event with Mr Andrews and supported his federal colleague, he was not active behind the scenes in the same way his federal colleagues Mr Sukkar and Mr Hunt were. Mr Frydenberg met with Mr Wolahan in recent weeks and the pair have a respectful relationship.The administrative committee met and endorsed the vote’s outcome on Sunday afternoon.Mr Wolahan – who completed three tours of Afghanistan in the 2nd Commando Regiment of the Australian Army, including as platoon commander, and who has a degree from Cambridge – was touted as a potential rival to Mr Andrews for many years and appealed to local members to renew the party by electing him as the candidate. The barrister did not seek high-profile endorsements and relied on the support of local community members.Mr Andrews’ campaign focused on his three-decade career, during which he opposed voluntary euthanasia laws and the introduction of abortion medication RU486.He outlined a fresh five-year plan and had endorsements from a cohort of federal ministers including Health Minister Mr Hunt, Trade Minister Dan Tehan, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, former prime minister John Howard, and News Corp commentators Andrew Bolt and Peta Credlin, who spoke at events in support of Mr Andrews.In the 2011 Australia Day honours Mr Wolahan received a Commendation for Distinguished Service, for duty in action. He attended Ringwood College, obtained a law degree at Monash University and studied a masters degree in international relations at the University of Cambridge. He joined the Liberal Party in 1996.This article has been amended to reflect that Kevin Andrews is the longest continuously serving member of Federal Parliament. Warren Snowden MP has served longer (30 years, 355 days) but not continuously.Our Morning Edition newsletter is a curated guide to the most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up to The Sydney Morning Herald’s newsletter , The Age’s , Brisbane Times’ , and WAtoday’s .Log in, or to save articles for later. is a Victorian political reporter for The Age. is a state political reporter for The Age.Advertisement

Kevin Andrews toppled in preselection battle for MenziesWe’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.DismisscloseAdvertisementBy Log in, or to save articles for later.Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text sizeAdvertisementVeteran Liberal MP Kevin Andrews, a former defence minister and the longest continuously serving member of Federal Parliament, has become the first federal Liberal since 1990 to be unseated in a party preselection in Victoria.Former special forces captain and Cambridge-educated barrister Keith Wolahan...

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