VETERAN of an incredible 13 Federal Election Campaigns, Russell Broadbent MHR, will not see a 14th.
On Sunday, at a pre-selection in Warragul, for the relatively safe seat of Monash, Mr Broadbent was almost unanimously passed over by party delegates in favour of generational change.
Collecting 161 votes out of a possible 193 first-round votes, they have selected government relations executive at Fujitsu and the former founding CEO of the Committee for Gippsland, Mary Aldred.
Her late father, Ken Aldred, a parliamentary colleague of Mr Broadbent’s, represented three electorates in the Federal Parliament from 1975 to 1996.
But, then again, almost everyone in Federal politics, from Bob Hawke, Paul Keating and John Howard through to Tony Abbott and Anthony Albanese has been colleagues of Mr Broadbent's.
The Mayor of South Gippsland Cr Nathan Hersey was also a candidate for Liberal pre-selection and it has been revealed that both Cr Hersey and Mr Broadbent both received 16 delegates’ votes.
Cr Hersey said afterwards that there are “plenty of opportunities to pursue in life”.
Mr Broadbent appears to have known his time was up, saying before the pre-selection event last week that, either way, he would be OK.
He certainly will.
His resilience at election time spans almost 40 years, and will stretch to 41 by the time he retires at the next election in 2025.
Here is his election history:
- 1984 lost election in Streeton
- 1987 lost election in Streeton
- 1990 won Corinella
- 1993 lost Corinella
- 1996 won McMillan (defeated Barry Cunningham)
- 1998 lost McMillan (succeeded by Christian Zahra
- 2001 didn’t stand for election
- 2004 won McMillan
- 2007 won McMillan (held seat when Liberals lost government)
- 2010 won McMillan
- 2013 won McMillan
- 2016 won McMillan
- 2019 won McMillan
- 2022 won Monash (renamed)
In an interview with the ABC, Ms Aldred said she was "humbled" by the result, going on to praise Mr Broadbent as a “great local member” for whom she had the utmost respect.
In a statement issued after the result, Victorian Liberal Party president Philip Davis described Ms Aldred as "a powerful local advocate who has vast experience across community volunteer organisations and the business sector".
"Mary is an exceptional young woman to pick up the challenge of representing a significant regional electorate," he said.
Typically, a grassroots’ local member, Mr Broadbent spent much of Remembrance Day at the Hallston Mechanics Institute where he opened the Hallston and District WWI Soldier Photographic Display, funded by the 'Saluting Their Service' grant program through the Department of Veteran's Affairs, a Federal Government department.
However, his tenure was not without controversy. In 2017 he was one of only four members of the House of Representatives to vote against the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill and in recent times he has been something of a lone voice on the fallout from the COVID vaccination program and then flip-flopped in his support for and against the Voice to Parliament referendum, although in January 2021 he stated that the Morrison government should support the Uluru Statement from the Heart and move towards constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians.
During the Howard government, he came to national prominence after siding with Liberal dissident Petro Georgiou in advocating better treatment of detainees, a stance that may have cost him a seat on the front bench, and has warned about the impact of climate change.
But much of his work for his constituents has been behind the scenes, on a wide range of issues from housing and health to bike paths and swimming pools, to supporting the performing arts, schools and necessary infrastructure in regional areas.
Mr Broadbent has offered to speak to the Sentinel-Times on Monday morning when his office will also release an official statement.
Mr Broadbent has, however, assured the people of Monash that he will continue to represent them with commitment and energy right up to the next Federal election, by May 2025.
