Property developer Andrew Cook has been selected as the Liberal Party’s candidate for Albert Park at the November state election, after a low local turnout pushed the decision to a special party convention.
Cook was endorsed through a Composite Preselection Convention after fewer than 40 local Liberal Party members registered to take part in the local vote, requiring Liberal HQ to step in and settle the nomination.
Liberal insiders say the situation is not unusual, with local party memberships dwindling across the country. But they say it could become a practical problem on polling day, when hundreds of volunteers are needed to hand out how-to-vote cards across about a dozen local booths.
Cook’s residential address is also likely to draw attention. He is currently enrolled to vote in Nepean, on the Mornington Peninsula. TWiSK has asked whether he intends to update his enrolment during the campaign.
With less than 90 days to polling day, the obvious question is:
Who is Andrew Cook?
John Andrew Cook, 71, is a company director and longtime property developer. He has run his own property development firm, Arno Corporation, since 1987, and says he would bring negotiation and communication skills to Parliament to help build “a unified and harmonious party room” — something he describes as a keystone of success in government.
Cook says his motivation for running is to improve quality of life for people in Albert Park and across Victoria. He has criticised the State Labor Government over rising debt and what he describes as mismanagement of the “Big Build”, while arguing for responsible spending, personal responsibility and support for free enterprise.
His policy interests include town planning, economic policy, health, the arts, and law and order. Cook points to his background as a qualified valuer and property developer on housing and urban design; more than 40 years running a small business on economic policy; and his support for arts institutions including the NGV, ACCA and Heide Museum. He also says a strong health system and a safe community are central priorities.
Cook says he has deep community links and a history of local philanthropy, and is ready to bring a goal-focused approach and resilience to the contest for Albert Park.
TWiSK looks forward to publishing Cook’s responses to our five biographical questions in our Voters Guide.
