New Liberal Senate Candidates Chosen
Saturday, 8 Aug 2026, 2:45 pm
Saturday, 8 Aug 2026, 4:36 pm
Jacki Martin, Chris Gatenby, and Sarah Courtney were at the meeting with party president Michael McKenna.
In short:
The new Liberal senators have been chosen to replace Wendy Askew and Jonno Duniam.
Chris Gatenby will be the top candidate, and Sarah Courtney will be second.
Jacki Martin came third, and Brad Stansfield was not successful.
A senior adviser to Premier Jeremy Rockliff will replace Senator Wendy Askew.
Chris Gatenby will be the top candidate, and Sarah Courtney will be second, with Jacki Martin third.
Brad Stansfield missed out on a spot.
Senators Askew and Duniam said they would not run again.
Their resignations mean the party can choose new senators without an election.
About 60 Liberal party members chose the new senators in Launceston.
A long-time staff member gets a chance
Chris Gatenby is a senior adviser to Premier Jeremy Rockliff and has been with the Liberals for a long time.
He grew up on a farm and lived in Launceston.
He has worked in many areas, including policy and government.
He ran for office before but was not successful.
Mr. Gatenby said he is looking forward to making a difference.
Premier Rockliff said Mr. Gatenby has a lot of experience.
Sarah Courtney was a minister in the government of Peter Gutwein.
She was elected in 2014 and became a minister in 2018.
She was seen as a talented minister with leadership potential.
She was the first female primary industries minister but stepped down.
She is an engineer and owns a vineyard.
She worked on health issues during the COVID pandemic.
She left politics in 2022 after getting COVID.
She would not comment on what she learned from that time.
Ms. Courtney said she has a lot of experience as a minister.
She said she is good at finding solutions and working with the community.
Not quite for Martin, Stansfield
Jacki Martin came third in the vote and is a councillor.
She has been a councillor since 2022 and advises Senator Askew.
She said she would bring energy and determination to the role.
She has spoken out on issues like the closure of a brewery.
She helped campaign for other politicians.
Ms. Martin said she will work for small businesses and families.
Brad Stansfield was not successful in his bid.
He was a chief of staff to a former premier.
He has advised the Liberal party in the past.
He owns a polling firm and has commented on politics.
He spoke out against the coalition working with One Nation.
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