Wakehurst

Margin: Liberal 30.5%
Region: Northern Sydney
Federal: Mackellar (70%)/Warringah (30%)

Candidates in ballot paper order

	ROBERT DI COSMO No Land Tax SILVANA NERO Christian Democratic Party BRAD HAZZARD Liberal (top) NED BARSI Labor (bottom) CONNY HARRIS Independent JONATHAN KING Greens

The safe Liberal seat of Wakehurst encompasses the northern beaches suburbs of Collaroy and Dee Why, and extends inland through Frenchs Forest and Brockvale to Forestville and Killarney Heights. The redistribution has left it effectively unchanged. The member since 1991 has been Brad Hazzard, a former partner in a Manly legal firm who come to the seat after deposing incumbent John Booth for preselection. Hazzard spent his first term embroiled in controversy over his relationship with Terry Metherell, the former Education Minister in Nick Greiner’s government whose appointment to a public service sinecure ultimately led to Greiner’s resignation. The proceedings at the Independent Commission Against Corruption led Hazzard to launch legal action against his own party’s Attorney-General, Peter Collins, who rejected his bid for legal assistance due to what Hazzard claimed were the political sensitivities of the issue. He ultimately dropped the claim against Collins and was exonerated by ICAC, although its report declared him “a distinctly unsatisfactory witness”.

Hazzard nonetheless maintained his reputation as a rising star, and entered the shadow cabinet after the 1995 election defeat under the leadership of his old adversary Peter Collins. However, he suffered a demotion in December 1997 together with Kerry Chikarovski, in an early sign of the internal trouble that would result in the latter’s successful leadership challenge in December 1998. Hazzard was twice promoted under Chikarovski and was a consistent supporter of her leadership, and it was seen as a sign of confidence in his performance that he retained his portfolios when John Brogden deposed her in March 2002. He held the shadow portfolios of education under the leadership of Peter Debnam from September 2005, and planning under Barry O’Farrell during the final term in opposition. In government he served first in as Minister for Planning and Infrastructure and Minister for Roads and Ports, before being reassigned as Attorney-General and Justice Minister when Mike Baird became Premier in April 2014.

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