Labor 'no show' as six candidates line up for Cook byelection

The Australian Electoral Commission announced the names of candidates and conducted a draw for positions on the ballot paper on Friday.

The candidates, the order in which their names will appear on the ballot paper and their home suburbs are:

Labor was not expected to run a candidate because of the Liberal margin of more than 12 per cent, but there was no official statement.

Several senior Labor figures in the shire were disappointed with the party's decision.

Ironically, today's proceedings were conducted in a function room at the Tradies Gymea club, the spiritual home of the Labor Party in Sutherland Shire.

Of the six candidates, only two are listed as Sutherland Shire residents.

Liberal candidate Simon Kennedy said electoral rules prevented him changing his address details on the roll until a month after he moved from Maroubra to his new home at Woolooware.

Mr Kennedy said his focus was not on other candidates but "on listening to the local people".

"I have been out every day this week and what I am hearing is cost of living," he said.

Mr Kennedy said the absence of a Labor candidate was "a question for Labor".

"For me, the job now is to show people my work ethic and I am willing to listen to them and fight for them on cost of living," he said.

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