Four to vie for empty seat
JUST four candidates have nominated for Fairfax pre-selection to battle it out for the right to replace Alex Somlyay as the party's candidate at next year's federal election.
The candidates are former Australian and Queensland Rugby coach John Connolly, lawyer Swain Roberts, financial advisor Brad Davenport-Mills and businessman Ted O'Brien.
Mr Connolly, who was born in Nambour, was the unsuccessful LNP candidate for the state seat of Nicklin this year.
Mr Roberts, originally from Murgon, is chairman of the Fairfax LNP federal divisional council.
Mr Davenport-Mills is a financial planner at IA Financial Services.
Mr O'Brien stood for the LNP in the federal seat of Brisbane in 2007 and was a Senate pre-selection candidate in 2010. He moved to the Coast two years ago.
Mr Somlyay, who has held the seat for the past 22 years, announced in 2010 he would retire at the next election.
Meanwhile, the Greens have chosen retired Sunshine Coast academic Jim McDonald as their Fairfax candidate. The former school teacher became a union official and then a lecturer.
