A Gold Coast councillor is shaping up as the likely Liberal National Party contender for the Fadden federal by-election.
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Cameron Caldwell is a former federal LNP candidate who has generated a strong local profile as planning chair of the council.
The 11-year veteran of the council will vie for preselection against four other candidates to be voted on by LNP members at a meeting on Saturday afternoon.
The other candidates are wealth manager Owen Caterer, disability advocate Dr Dinesh Palipana, Craig Hobart and businesswoman Fran Ward, the only female contender.
Labor's Letitia Del Fabbro, a nurse educator at Griffith University, has been endorsed as the party's candidate to take a second tilt at the seat following her unsuccessful run at the 2022 election.
The Greens have yet to select a candidate for the July 15 by-election and there are expected to be at least three other minor party and independent candidates.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation last month of the LNP's Stuart Robert.
Integrity experts, including former NSW Supreme Court judge Anthony Whealy, have called for Mr Robert to be referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission over his alleged involvement with a consulting firm that helped companies win government contracts.
A government inquiry identified 19 contracts worth $374 million requiring further examination.
Mr Robert has denied any wrongdoing and says the government inquiry did not find any misconduct.
The safe coalition seat stands on a margin of more than 10 per cent, but Mr Robert suffered a swing of 3.5 per cent against him in the 2022 federal election.
It will be the second by-election in this term of parliament after Labor unexpectedly won the Liberal-held seat of Aston in suburban Melbourne in April.
Australian Associated Press
