Opposition Leader Peter Dutton launches campaign for Liberal candidate Matt Moran for new seat of Bullwinkel

Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has launched the campaign of the Liberal Party’s candidate for the new seat of Bullwinkel. Former army veteran and journalist Matt Moran was joined at the launch on Wednesday by Mr Dutton as well as Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, and senators Michaelia Cash, Linda Reynolds, Melissa Price, and Dean Smith at his campaign launch. Mr Dutton told a room full of supporters at the Lesmurdie Club that Mr Moran has “tenacity and drive” for the role. “I think that the pathway to entering the next election is through Western Australia,” he said. “Matt is somebody truly, I think, deserving of your support, somebody who has really done a lot in upholding the values of our Parliament.” Mr Moran said he was focusing on listening to the people of Bullwinkel. “I really think Labor are out of touch and people want pragmatic solutions to problems,” he said. “They don’t want excuses, they don’t want politicians blaming other people. They need to take some responsibility and come up with good solutions to the people, to the problems that people are facing around Bullwinkel. “I was born in Kalamunda, I grew up in Boya and the people are struggling … and that’s why I put my hand up for Bullwinkel.” This was Mr Moran’s second attempt at preselection for a Federal seat after being beaten by former Uber executive Tom White in Curtin in February. His preselection will be ratified by Liberal State Council, along with Claire Moody in Brand, Sean Ayres in Burt, Jan Norberger in Pearce and David Goode in Hasluck. Preselections for Cowan, Swan and Perth are scheduled for this week. Bullwinkel is a newly created seat with a notional Labor margin of 3 per cent based on the 2022 result. The new seat brings the number of WA Federal Lower House seats to 16. Mr Moran served as a public affairs officer for the Australian Army in Afghanistan and East Timor and won a Walkley Award for Channel 10. He quit the network to be press secretary to then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.