Controversial Liberal numbers man Alex Hawke will join the cavalcade of prominent federal MPs visiting the Hunter as an election looms.
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Liberal sources have told the Newcastle Herald that Mr Hawke, who was instrumental in Scott Morrison's rise to prime minister in 2018, is likely to host a party fundraiser during a visit to the region on Wednesday.
Mr Morrison was special guest at a $10,000-a-plate fundraising dinner at the Newcastle Club when he was in town three weeks ago.
Energy Minister Angus Taylor attended a fundraiser at the same venue on Monday last week, and the PM was back in the Hunter four days later to declare his admiration for the region as a "model case" for his government's policies on skills, energy and manufacturing.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese was also in the Hunter last week.
Mr Hawke is an opponent of same-sex marriage and argued publicly in 2018 that religious schools should be able to block gay students from enrolling.
The Immigration Minister is Mr Morrison's representative on the powerful NSW Liberal state executive and leads the faction which includes the federal government's patron senator for the Hunter, Hollie Hughes, and NSW parliamentary secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin.
The Liberals' focus appears to be on giving presumptive candidate Brooke Vitnell the financial clout to win back the seat of Paterson from Labor's Meryl Swanson.
Ms Vitnell, a solicitor from Medowie, is the wife of long-time Morrison media and strategy adviser Julian Leembruggen.
One Hunter Liberal source said Ms Vitnell was a strong candidate but some in the party were concerned about any perception of nepotism in pre-selections.
However, another Hunter party figure said he had not heard this criticism and members were focused on giving themselves the best chance of reclaiming the seat.
Sparke Helmore lawyer Nell McGill appears almost certain to win pre-selection to again contest the seat of Shortland after growing the Liberals' primary vote by 2 per cent in 2019 and cutting Pat Conroy's 10 per cent margin in half.
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