Renegade independents eye western Sydney seats
High-profile independents could target at least two western Sydney seats, with Fairfield mayor and former Labor party member Frank Carbone and one-time Liberal Dai Le eyeing off seats.
Mr Carbone, who was a Labor mayor until he was expelled from the party for running against anendorsed ALP candidate in council elections, is considering running as an independent in the Liberal-held seat of Mulgoa.
Minister for Mental Health, Tanya Davies, holds Mulgoa with an almost 10 per cent margin.
"Both Labor and the Liberals have let the community down, especially in Cabramatta, Prospect and Mulgoa and I am angry that we have missed out on so many resources," Mr Carbone said.
It is understood some federal Labor MPs, including shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen, had wanted Mr Carbone reinstated into the Labor Party but some state MPs were "vehemently opposed to the move", a Labor source said.
Mr Carbone's fellow Fairfield councillor Ms Le could contest Cabramatta. Ms Le was suspended from the Liberal Party for 10 years for running as an independent against an endorsed Liberal at the 2016 council elections. Under party rules, a candidate must not run against endorsed candidates.
But late last year, it is understood the Premier Gladys Berejiklian approached Ms Le, a former staffer to Joe Hockey and Barry O'Farrell and asked her to consider running for the Liberals in Cabramatta.
Ms Le said she would consider her plans over the next week but would only run as an independent.
"I'm going to consult with people from my community and consider my options. I haven't made up my mind yet on what to do," Ms Le said.
Cabramatta, which has a large Vietnamese community, is a safe Labor seat held by Nick Lalich.
Mr Lalich is keen to contest the seat again and party officers on Thursday asked for intervention from the ALP national executive.
Nominations close with the NSW Electoral Commission in four weeks so the party would not have time to run a rank and file preselection.
Preselections had been on hold in Cabramatta while Mr Lalich, 74, underwent cancer treatment but as many as 12 party members had told Labor head office that they were keen to run in the seat.
Prominent members of the Vietnamese community, including former president of the Vietnamese Community Association Tri Vo, pharmacist Phuoc Vo and former councillor Toan Nguyen are understood to have expressed interest.
Sally Sitou, a former Labor staffer and now a media adviser at the University of Sydney, has also been touted as a possibility.
The national executive will also consider Upper Hunter, a must win seat for Labor.
Cessnock deputy mayor Melanie Dagg is expected to be preselected for the marginal seat, which was left vacant after Muswellbrook mayor Martin Rush stood down.
Mr Rush resigned as the candidate after an anonymous letter alleging he assaulted his female flatmate was sent to Labor's head office and the Opposition leader's office days before Christmas. He denied the allegations and the party's candidate review committee dismissed the complaint but Mr Rush said it was in the best interests of his family to resign. A statement from a Labor spokeswoman said: "The party officers met this morning to refer the state electorates of Upper Hunter and Cabramatta to the National executive for determination. "The National Executive will meet tomorrow to open nominations."