Paul Fletcher Announces Retirement, Opening Bradfield Seat to Potential Teal Independent Win

The longtime Liberal MP's departure highlights challenges for the party's moderate faction and sets the stage for a competitive election battle.

Paul Fletcher, Liberal MP for Bradfield since 2009, has announced his retirement and will not contest the 2025 federal election.
Fletcher's retirement follows a significant swing against him in 2022, when independent candidate Nicolette Boele turned the once-safe Liberal seat into a marginal contest.
The Liberal Party is expected to rally behind Gisele Kapterian, a Salesforce executive and former staffer, as a potential candidate for the seat.
Boele, backed by the Climate 200 movement, has maintained a strong campaign presence and is expected to run again in the upcoming election.
The departure of Fletcher, along with other moderates like Simon Birmingham, underscores the growing dominance of the conservative wing within the Liberal Party.