Former Federal Liberal MP Nicolle Flint, Liberal MLC Ben Hood and Federal Liberal MP Tony Pasin are about to embark on an 11-day tour of the MacKillop electorate.
The trio attended the 2024 Coonawarra Vignerons Cup race meeting at the Penola racecourse on Thursday and are now prepared to wear out some shoe leather.
The vast electorate stretches from Tantanoola to Pinnaroo and is nowadays represented by Independent Nick McBride after he quit the Liberal Party midway through 2023.
Mr McBride also attended the Coonawarra Vignerons Cup and subsequently posted to social media a photograph of himself with Liberal MP, ex-Speaker and former cabinet minister Vincent Tarzia.
Liberal sources have told The SE Voice that Mr McBride retains considerable support among the rank-and-file Liberal Party members.
Ms Flint has asked local Liberal Party branch officials across the MacKillop electorate to assist with the staging of meetings in town halls and community clubs.
She has stated that said the aim of the tour is getting the Liberal Party profile up and building a community contact database for whomever becomes the candidate at the 2026 State Election.
Ms Flint has the goals of having each town in MacKillop talking about the Liberal Party as well as recruiting new members.
All three politicians have close ties to the MacKillop electorate.
Ms Flint was raised on the family farm at Kingston and has been working there in recent months.
After leaving Federal politics at the 2022 election, Ms Flint has become a regular commentator in social and mainstream media and has returned to her previous role as chair of the Liberal Party Rural and Regional Council with a seat on the State Executive.
Mr Hood was born and raised in Naracoorte and is the “duty MP” for the MacKillop electorate following Mr McBride’s decision to shun the Liberal Party.
The main connection of Mr Pasin to the MacKillop electorate is his family’s farm at Kalangadoo.
Mr Pasin told The SE Voice that he expected other members of the Liberal Party Rural and Regional Council to participate in the tour.
It must be completed within a fortnight as both the State and Federal Parliaments resume on February 6.
There is widespread speculation that Ms Flint will seek Liberal Party preselection for MacKillop and The SE Voice has approached her for comment.
