Teal Kylea Tink could challenge Coalition's Paul Fletcher after seat abolished
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The news: Teal independent Kylea Tink has refused to rule out a tilt at Coalition frontbencher Paul Fletcher, after her North Sydney seat was formally abolished.
The context: The Australian Electoral Commission on Thursday confirmed that North Sydney, which Tink won off Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman in 2022, would be axed in redistribution ahead of the next election.
The seat will be divided up into neighbouring Bradfield (held by Fletcher), Warringah (held by fellow teal independent Zali Steggall) and Bennelong (held by Labor MP Jerome Laxale).
While saying she had not made any decision on her future, Tink played down the prospect of challenging Steggall, saying her plan was to “contribute positively to that crossbench, not to cannibalise it”.
Tink was more open to running in Bradfield, declaring that any seat in the country was currently winnable for an independent, but did not reveal whether she had received polling on the seat.
Climate 200-backed independent candidate Nicolette Boele made big inroads in Bradfield in 2022, gaining a 21% swing. She has declared her intention to run again.
What they said: “Every federal seat in this country is winnable for an independent at the moment," Tink said.
"… So my answer to whether someone like me could win a seat like Bradfield, whether we could win a seat like Bennelong is: yes, of course we can.”
The source: Kylea Tink press conference
