Federal election: Scott Yung endorsed as Liberal candidate for John Howards former seat of Bennel

The former Liberal candidate who nearly kicked out NSW Premier Chris Minns from his own seat of Kogarah, will win preselection as the next federal candidate for Bennelong.

Sydney business man and Ryde local, Scott Yung, is set to challenge sitting Labor MP Jerome Laxale, who won the formerly safe Liberal seat with a 7.9 per cent swing to Labor at the 2022 election.

Mr Laxale won the seat following the retirement of popular MP and former tennis champion, John Alexander.

Located in Sydney’s northwest, former Liberal prime minister John Howard between 1974 to 2007.

Multiple Liberal Party members, including state executive members, confirmed the moderate Liberal member’s successful endorsement by the Bennelong Federal Electorate Convention (FEC), with an overwhelming vote of 48 to 10.

While he will need to be approved by the state executive through a ballot to officially be preselected, Liberal Party sources believed it was more of a “formality”.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity due to party regulations, one state executive member said: “It’s hard to get over two-thirds in any endorsement and he got over 80 per cent. That’s a pretty good outcome.”

He said Mr Yung’s former experience as a candidate against Mr Minns in the 2019 state election, which led to a 5.1 per cent swing to the Liberal Party, also made him an attractive option for preselection.

“He made it marginal but no one else went into it thinking it was going to be marginal – he was doing the party a favour just by running,” he said.

Another senior Liberal Party member said Mr Yung would have a “good chance” of returning the seat back to the Liberal Party.

“Scott has incredible campaign energy, he connects with young people, he’s a self-made man, and a successful small business owner,” he said.

While approached, Mr Yung declined to comment.

Although the next federal election has yet to be called, it will need to held before September 27, 2025.

Previously, federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton had urged state officials to have all their candidates selected by June 2024, with potential candidates flagged by the end of this year.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrGWcp51jrrZ7zZqroqeelrlwvM6loK2hk6h8psTKqJ6aqpGdeqStzZ2gnZmkmnq0r86tq2axpaO0brHNnaarq5WZeqK%2FjJyYp5yZma61sYyfpqtlmqS1r3nHqK6aqpSoeqe70aacq2Wjmq61ec6fZJudnqOyrbvNoGSipl2jsrnAjJ%2BcnZ2ilrluscuemq2hn6N8r7HWrGSsrJ%2BnxnCElW1nbmhhbrOjrsKfb29vY5iCcoGTm2qcm2ibsaKvkA%3D%3D