This bloke has done so much nasty stuff in his political life, so atm i dunno how i feel about this.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8911903/senior-liberal-philip-ruddock-joins-forces-with-teal-candidate

QUOTE BEGINS

High-profile former Howard government minister Philip Ruddock has lent his weight to the local teal campaign in a video designed to protect trees.

Mr Ruddock, who was mayor of Hornsby council in Sydney for seven years after serving in federal parliament for 43 years, lost Liberal party preselection for council leadership in 2024.

Now, the 81-year-old has appeared in a social media campaign video with Tina Brown, the Climate 200-backed independent candidate for the federal electorate of Berowra.

Mr Ruddock suggests in the video there could be something "sinister" behind a move by the local Liberal-led council to change vegetation rules around development in the name of safety.

Any changes could affect the tree preservation orders his father and former Hornsby shire president introduced in the 1950s, he said.

"Global warming is exceedingly significant," Mr Ruddock says in the video, posted to social media on Saturday, March 8 as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred bore down on Australia's east coast.

Ms Brown has launched a petition on the back of the issue, demanding transparency around decisions affecting tree protection in the local area.

Mr Ruddock played down the political significance of his appearance in the video when he spoke to ACM, the publisher of this masthead.

"My comments were made immediately I became aware of the mayoral minute and were based upon my personal experience," Mr Ruddock said.

"I have not resigned from the Liberal Party and I've made it very clear that I intended to support, particularly [Liberal candidate] Scott Yung in Bennelong, and that would be my preferred role during this campaign."

Mr Ruddock's wife, Heather, has already quit the Liberal Party and is supporting Ms Brown's federal election campaign.

Formerly John Howard's attorney-general and immigration minister, he oversaw the "children overboard" affair in 2001 and has sat on the Liberal party's federal and state executive.

Mr Ruddock said he was on the panel to preselect Gisele Kapterian for the Liberals in Bradfield, the federal electorate that sits adjacent to Berowra, currently held by Paul Fletcher who is retiring.

The Climate 200-backed candidate, Nicolette Boele, is considered to have a strong chance.

"Bradfield is certainly competitive," Mr Ruddock told ACM.

He also acknowledged Berowra was not a sure thing for the Coalition.

It's held by Liberal MP Julian Leeser with a 7.56 per cent margin.

"But I also think that the assumption that Berowra is a safe seat and that you don't have to be concerned about it is put to one side when you look at the way in which Julian Leeser is campaigning."

Asked about his specific mention of global warming in the video with Tina Brown, Mr Ruddock said trees were important to combat heat.

"I have spoken in council about the impact of trees in the streets and the way in which they ameliorate the impact of heat," he said.

"If people don't understand in the context of what we are experiencing now the value of trees, I think they're being very foolish."

Berowra covers a broad area of north-western Sydney, including bushland and farmland, but is being rapidly developed to accommodate Sydney's growing population.

Its boundaries were changed when the seat of North Sydney was abolished.

A federal election has to be held by May 17.

Hornsby Shire Council was contacted for comment.

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