It looks like the federal election will be held in May, and an investigation has found former attorney-general Christian Porter didn't breach parliamentary rules when his legal fees in a defamation case were paid by an anonymous donor.
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Without the usual factional deals being done to stitch up candidates, the outcome of the various challenges to incumbent MPs is both more unpredictable and more difficult for the prime minister to control should he wish to intervene.
The challenge to incumbents exposes the current factional allegiances in play in the state, with the moderate and the hard-right factions in an uneasy alliance to counter the power of Hawke’s centre-right faction.
None of the challenges are between moderate and hard-right MPs and candidates.
In Zimmerman’s seat of North Sydney, the centre-right aligned Jess Collins has nominated for the seat, along with Hamish Stitt, the son of barrister Robert Stitt.