GoBoat Australia founder and ACT Liberal Party president Nick Tyrrell wants to be a Senator. Photo: GoBoat Australia.
Canberra Liberals president Nick Tyrrell has nominated for ACT Senate preselection, following the party’s abysmal result at this year’s federal election.
Nominations closed on Wednesday (8 October), and while the party won’t say who nominated until it makes an official announcement next Wednesday (15 October), Region can confirm Mr Tyrrell has thrown his hat into the ring.
Jacob Vadakkedathu, who led the party’s Senate ticket in the May election, did not nominate for preselection this time round, but the number two member on the ticket, Hayune Lee, has nominated.
The preselection meeting to officially decide the Liberal Party’s Senate number one candidate for the next federal election will take place on Sunday, 8 November, at Eastlake Football Club in Griffith.
Nominations for the party’s number two spot, as well as for House of Representatives preselection, will be called for and take place at future dates.
Mr Tyrrell is a successful Canberra businessman, being the founder of GoBoat Australia & NZ.
He assumed the presidency of the ACT Liberal Party in February 2024, when he was elected to the post following a particularly nasty spate of public infighting within the Canberra Liberals.
He filled the void left when party members removed longstanding president John Cziesla the previous November during a rowdy AGM, where Mr Cziesla lost the presidency vote to an empty chair.
Zed Seselja and Jeremy Hanson backed Mr Cziesla, and his demise was a signal that the Liberal Party in Canberra was turning away from the hard right.
If Mr Tyrrell, who is a former NSW Liberal Party staffer, is endorsed as the ACT Liberal Senate number one candidate, he will have to step down from his role as party president.
Mr Vadakkedathu only managed to get half a quota in this year’s election.
Region understands he tested the waters with party members following his election defeat and ultimately decided against nominating again.
Region contacted Mr Tyrrell, who declined to comment before the party makes its official announcement.
