Simon Holmes à Court’s Climate 200 group on Sunday revealed it willtarget Liberal Environment Minister James Griffin in the state seat of Manly,and has selected independent challenger Joeline Hackman to replicate the local federal victories of Zali Steggall in Warringah and Sophie Scamps in Mackellar.
Other independent climate-focused groups are finalising candidates after two of Griffin’s colleagues,Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes andHealth Minister Hazzard,announced they would not recontest their seats of Pittwater and Wakehurst.
But Hazzard on Sunday downplayed the teal threat in his northern beaches seat. “It’s interesting isn’t it? The teals only seem to run in Liberal seats. They appear to be a front for the Labor Party,” he said,when asked if he thought Wakehurst would be vulnerable.
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“All they’re really doing is trying to demolish good,Liberal candidates to support the Labor Party.
“In my seat,I think the local community knows that the history of the Liberal-Nationals in NSW is very pro-environment. I’ve been around for 32 years and I recollect that we were the very first government - not Labor - to introduce an environmental protection authority,nearly 30 years ago.”
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet also brushed off questions about whether the teal movement would threaten his MPs at the March state election,saying that judgment was for commentators to make,but he backed the state’s environmental credentials.