Veteran Liberal Eric Abetz seeking party preselection for 2025 Tasmanian state election

ABC NEWS (Australia)

He's a familiar face to most Tasmanians after a career in federal politics lasting nearly three decades. And now, Liberal Eric Abetz wants to play a part closer to home putting his hand up to run at the next state election.

Transcript

00:00 For decades he was a constant in Canberra corridors, but now Eric Abetz is setting his

00:08 sights on local politics.

00:10 Energy levels and the desire to serve have remained with me ever since I left the Senate

00:16 and here is an opportunity to serve the people of Tasmania.

00:20 Eighteen months after he was ousted from the Senate, the 65 year old is seeking party approval

00:26 to run in the southern seat of Franklin, hoping to be elected alongside Nick Street and Dean

00:31 Young in an expanded 35 seat lower house.

00:35 One of the suggestions made to me was that I would provide some greater degree of stability

00:41 to the state parliamentary scene and if that is something that I can contribute that would

00:46 be great.

00:47 Political experts say his profile means he's got a good chance of getting elected, but

00:52 people hold strong views about the conservative Christian who opposed abortion, voluntary

00:57 assisted dying and same sex marriage during his 28 years in the Senate.

01:02 He's always been something of a polarising politician and that is one of the challenges

01:09 he'll face.

01:10 This is a person who talks about taking Tasmania forward but most of his ideals seem to come

01:14 out of the 1950s.

01:16 We are a genuinely broad church, there are people with more moderate views, there are

01:19 people with more conservative views, what is important is that everybody that's going

01:23 to be on that ballot supports Jeremy Rockleaf as Premier going forward.

01:27 The Liberal Party will announce its team and whether Erica Betts is in it by the end of

01:31 the month.

01:32 Both major parties will have the candidates locked in well in advance of the May 2025

01:37 election.

01:38 With independent MP John Tucker threatening to bring the minority government down, it's

01:42 possible Tasmanians could be sent to the polls much earlier than that.

01:46 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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