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Liberals have long wanted Peta Credlin to enter parliament.
PETA Credlin, the controversial former chief of staff to Tony Abbott, has reportedly been sounded out to challenge a federal cabinet minister for a blue-ribbon Liberal seat in Melbourne.
A group of disgruntled millionaire Victorian Liberal Party members want Ms Credlin to oust Kelly O’Dwyer from the seat of Higgins, and have made an unofficial approach to her, the Herald Sun reported.
“I have not been formally approached to run for Higgins,” Ms Credlin told the paper.
Kelly O’Dwyer holds the blue ribbon Melbourne Liberal seat, which local Liberals want Peta Credlin to challenge her for. Picture: Kym SmithSource:News Corp Australia
Ms Credlin ran the former prime minister’s office when Mr Abbott was leader and is now a newspaper columnist and political commentator on Sky News.
The Herald Sun report claims the motivation behind the approach to Ms Credlin by the powerful group of millionaire Liberals is to unseat Ms O’Dwyer as retribution for her role in an unpopular tax on their superannuation savings.
The Financial Services Minister has played a key role in the changes, which come into effect on July 1 and include a tax increase from 15 per cent to 30 per cent on contributions for workers earning more than $250,000.
Higgins takes in Melbourne’s wealthiest postcode, Toorak.
Ms Credlin’s post-politics life has included commentating on Sky News, where she has regularly attacked Malcolm Turnbull. Picture: John FederSource:News Corp Australia
The seat has been a jewel in the Liberal crown for 67 years, having been held by two prime ministers — Harold Holt and John Gorton — and Australia’s longest- serving treasurer Peter Costello.
Ms O’Dwyer fought off a strong challenge from the Greens at last year’s federal election.
Ms Credlin, a powerful and controversial behind-the-scenes figure in Tony Abbott’s government, was accused of holding back Ms O’Dwyer’s career during her time as the former prime minister’s chief of staff.
Peta Credlin was a powerful figure in Tony Abbot’s government.Source:News Corp Australia
But after supporting Malcolm Turnbull in the 2015 leadership spill, Ms O’Dwyer’s stocks rose, and after “knocking on the cabinet door” under Mr Abbott, she was finally promoted.
Ms Credlin has previously said she has been offered preselection for various seats in parliament.
But she has shied away from entering politics in favour of backroom roles so she wouldn’t have to kowtow to “nameless nobody” party branch officials.