Aged Liberal MPs walking, running, and dropping out
Prime Minister John Howard, who turns 70 in July, 2009, is still expecting to remain in Federal Parliament following the election due late this year but a number of his ageing colleagues are not so lucky.
Ross Lightfoot, 70, a WA Liberal Senator has withdrawn from the Senate preselection race. He said: “I’ve been in the Liberal Party for 50 years this year and I am not likely to sully that record by unrolling my swag on the cross-benches.”
Another 70-year-old Liberal Senator, John Watson, of Tasmania, has been dropped as a candidate for re-election by the party.
Alan Cadman, 69, a NSW Liberal MP, is under preselection threat. He said: “I think it should be on performance, not age. I came in the same day as John Howard.”
Prominent Howard Government front bencher, Philip Ruddock, 64, is being tipped to retire after the election.
Stewart McArthur, 69, Liberal MP for the Great Ocean Road seat of Corangamite, narrowly retained party preselection. He said: “John Howard and I are probably the two fittest people in parliament. I run two half marathons a year. The PM walks every day.”
