The Fraser-era immigration minister Ian Macphee has endorsed a local push to replace the incumbent Liberal MP Tim Wilson in his former electorate of Goldstein with an independent at the next federal election. Macphee, a vocal party moderate, held the Victorian electorate of Goldstein during his political career before he lost Liberal preselection in 1989. During an interview with a moderator of community group Voices of Goldstein, the former Liberal minister said this was a time “when voters in a progressive electorate like Goldstein must play their part”. He said independently minded “genuine Liberal voters” needed to “come together with other voters to support a really good, honest, broad thinking, visionary candidate to represent them”. Sign up to receive the top stories from Guardian Australia every morningThe incumbent Liberal member, Tim Wilson, declined to comment on Macphee’s intervention when contacted by Guardian Australia.

Source: The Guardian August 03, 2021 05:37 UTC