THE first potential Liberal Party candidate to take on Ripon MP Martha Haylett has emerged with a for political staffer saying he will seek pre-selection to contest the marginal seat at next year’s election.
Ballarat father of four and Triple 000 call  taker Nathan Anderson on Friday said his hat would be in the ring to be the Liberal candidate.
Labor Ms Haylett defeated senior Liberal Louise Staley at the 2022 election and holds the seat that stretches from the outer suburbs of Ballarat into southern Loddon communities and across to St Arnaud, Maryborough and Ararat by 2.99 per cent.
““Our communities have borne the brunt of this government’s poor decisions — from the emergency services tax, to services being stripped from our towns, to massive powerlines being forced onto farms while landowners are threatened with jail,” Mr Anderson said.
“Families and farmers are doing it tough. The Emergency Services tax is putting pressure on households and small businesses, services are being cut from our towns and farmers face having high-voltage powerlines pushed through their land with the threat of criminalisation for protecting their properties and biosecurity. These are the real issues people are talking about — and they deserve to be front and centre in the State Parliament.”
Mr Anderson worked for former premier Denis Napthine.
Sources have told the Loddon Herald that Mr Anderson could be one of at least five Liberal pre-selection candidates. Others being touted as contenders former Ballarat mayor Samantha McIntosh, Central Goldfields Shire councillor Ben Green,  Learmonth farmer Suzie Morro and former barrister police prosecutor Serge Petrovich.
The Liberals are expected to have a candidate in place by Christmas while the National Party may not conduct pre-selections until early next year.
Ararat Mayor Jo Armstrong is tipped to get the nod in Ripon while there is speculation that several high profile rural leaders may seek to replace Peter Walsh when he retires next year after more than 20 years in Parliament.