Warren Mundine has confirmed he is considering an offer from the Liberal party to stand for the NSW seat of Gilmore at the next federal election.
The party holds the NSW south coast electorate by a 0.7 per cent margin.
Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis announced in September she will not recontest the seat, claiming she had been the victim of branch stacking and bullying.
Mr Mundine was the national president of the Labor party between 2006 and 2007, but has been a critical of the party in recent years.
He said he was motivated to run in the wake of the recent Liberal party leadership spill.
“A lot of Australians over the last 11 years have been are pretty sick of this continuing circus of changing prime ministers and changing governments,” he told NITV News.
“I’ve always been a Liberal Democrat when I was in the Labor party and I was very strong about economic development.”
Although he lives in Sydney, he cited his strong ties to the NSW south coast.
“I was born in Grafton, I was deputy mayor of Dubbo and, of course, my family connections - Yuin, Gumbaynggirr Bundjalung and Irish background. I have a very strong commitment to the development of our regions.”
Mr Mundine predicted that the next federal election would be held in May 2019.
“Unless there’s something that changes in the parliament but I can’t see that happening now,” he said.
Both The Australian and Australian Financial Review have reported the Liberal party have been polling voters in Gilmore to test awareness of potential candidates, including Mr Mundine, preselection candidate Grant Schultz, NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance and local councillor Jemma Tribe.
The Sydney Morning Herald also reported that Mr Mundine was concerned his business interest could endanger his eligibility to run for office under section 44 of the constitution.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said that Fiona Phillips, the Labor party’s candidate for Gilmore, would fight on local issues.
"She doesn't want a seat in parliament because she thinks that's her right, that she's owed a seat," he told reporters.
"The Liberal party is divided. Yet again, another Liberal woman is going to be sacrificed by the powerbrokers of the Liberal party."
