Preselection contest for Federal seat of Monash

NEXT month’s Liberal Party preselection for the Federal seat of Monash, taking place on November 12, is a three-horse race between long-term incumbent Russell Broadbent, current South Gippsland Shire mayor Nathan Hersey and Mary Aldred.

Russell Broadbent

Russell is the current member for Monash, having sat in Federal parliament continuously since 2004 and holding the seat of McMillan until an electoral redistribution in 2019.

He was originally elected to the House of Representatives in the seat of Corinella in 1990, defeated at the 1993 election, bounced back to be elected in McMillan in 1996, tasting defeat again in 1998 before commencing his long unbeaten run six years later.

Born in Koo Wee Rup and turning 73 on Christmas Day this year, Russell brought a variety of experience with him when he first entered parliament. That included working in a family retail business, being a company director, serving as a Shire of Pakenham councillor and in the role of Shire president, and becoming a member of the Local Government Board.

Nathan Hersey

Preselection challenger, Nathan Hersey grew up in Moe before moving to the 

Mornington Peninsula at the age of 18 to study a Diploma of Business Management and Human Resources Management prior to completing a Bachelor of Arts.

He began part-time farming in 2014 at Woorarra West in South Gippsland, which was the foundation of a Scottish Highland Cattle stud.

The farming operation has since expanded and moved to Korumburra and Nathan has been on the Board of the Australian Highland Cattle Society, including as vice president.

Following study, he volunteered in the field of aid and development, before beginning employment with a Federal Member of Parliament as an electorate officer in 2012.

Nathan went on to become an office manager, then an advisor to government ministers, 
including as a parliamentary advisor to then Health Minister Greg Hunt during the early stages of the COVID pandemic.

Nathan relocated to Loch in 2019 with his wife Lucy, an artist, and the couple are parents to son Hugo.

Becoming involved in his local community, Nathan was elected to South Gippsland Shire Council in 2021; he is also on the Board of the Municipal Association of Victoria and is Deputy Chair of One Gippsland. 

Mary Aldred

Mary Aldred is the other contender for preselection, currently head of government relations for Asia Pacific at Fujitsu and having worked in a number of CEO and Board Director roles in Gippsland and at a national level.

She graduated with a Master of Business Administration from Federation University in 2018 and has also completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at Monash University, and a Master of Agribusiness at the University of Melbourne.

Mary is a graduate of the Gippsland Community Leadership Program.

Locally, she has served on the Boards of Latrobe Regional Hospital, Lifeline Gippsland, Woorayl Lodge Community Aged Care in Leongatha and is Chair of the Gippsland United Basketball Club.

Mary was the founding CEO of the Committee for Gippsland, which represents over 100 businesses and community organisations across the region.

She has been appointed to a number of Federal Government bodies and is the daughter of former Federal MP Ken Aldred.