Teal independent Kylea Tink considers options after seat abolished by AEC

The teal independent MP Kylea Tink says she is considering her political options after it was confirmed her seat of North Sydney will be abolished by the Australian Electoral Commission.
Tink is not ruling out running for a new local seat or even trying to switch to the Senate at the next election, but has said she doesn’t want to “cannibalise” the crossbench.
The electorate’s 97,000 voters will now be spread across three northern Sydney divisions: the blue-ribbon seat of Bradfield, the marginal Labor electorate of Bennelong and the independent-held Warringah.
Tink won at the 2022 federal election when she unseated progressive Liberal Trent Zimmerman after the incumbent experienced an almost 14% swing against his primary vote.
Tink had been strongly against the change. Responding to Thursday’s news, she called the decision “deeply disappointing” – but hinted her political ambitions weren’t over.
“Despite today’s announcement I feel like I have a lot more to give to Australian politics, but today isn’t about me. I will have more to say about my future at a later date,” she said in a statement.
Tink told a press conference that “I haven’t made any decisions at this point” about her future.
Though she could contest one of the surrounding divisions, independent Nicolette Boele has already launched her campaign in Bradfield, Bennelong is traditionally a contest between the Liberals and Labor and Warringah is already held by teal independent, Zali Steggall.
Asked if she would run in these seats, the North Sydney MP noted she had played a role on one of the largest crossbenches in history of the federal government.
“It’s my intention to continue to contribute positively to that crossbench and not cannibalise it,” Tink said.
Electoral commission presiding member Susan Kenny said all written objections and comments to the redistribution had been carefully considered.
Boundaries around several other New South Wales seats, including Blaxland, Dobell and Watson, have also shifted.
Earlier redistributions in Victoria abolished the inner-Melbourne seat of Higgins, which was won in 2022 by Labor backbencher Michelle Ananda-Rajah after a close contest against the Liberals.
In Western Australia, the new seat of Bullwinkel was added in Perth.
Tink also said Australia should think about increasing the number of MPs and senators more broadly.
“To expect a parliamentarian to be able to represent upwards of 150,000 people, is a really tough job … it comes back to, what is the best ratio for representatives to population?” she said.