Stokes wanted a woman to replace him in the blueribbon seat and lobbied members of the party’s state executive to not back Amon.
Amon (right) at Narrabeen in 2021. He was a Northern Beaches councillor before entering NSW parliament.Credit: Sam Mooy
Staff in then premier Dominic Perrottet’s office also made calls on behalf of Perrottet amid concerns Amon was not the strongest candidate for a seat they believed was under threat from teal candidate Jacqui Scruby.
At the same time, Liberal turned independent Gareth Ward, who was suspended from parliament as he faced a sexual assault charge, to which he has pleaded not guilty, called state executive members in support of Amon.
Despite the intervention of Perrottet and Stokes, Amon’s endorsement was passed by one vote and he became the preselected candidate. He won Pittwater despite a 22 per cent swing against the Liberals.
Amon moved straight to Opposition Leader Mark Speakman’s frontbench after the election and is assistant shadow minister for infrastructure, transport, roads and youth.
Speakman and Liberal Party head office have been contacted for comment. After Ward was charged with historical sex offences, he was removed from the Liberal party room and sat on the crossbench pending the outcome of his case.
Ward was also suspended from the parliament, which prevented him from attending the parliamentary precinct, although that suspension did not continue after he successfully retained Kiama.
Amon is a volunteer with the Rural Fire Service (RFS).Credit: Facebook
Amon was elected to Northern Beaches Council in 2017. On his Liberal Party website, he lists his chief achievements during his time on council as getting $2.5 million for the Mona Vale Surf Club rebuild, and helping secure $4.6 million to protect Newport littoral rainforest from development.
According to his website, Amon grew up on the Northern Beaches and before his career in politics worked as a family lawyer. He is a volunteer with the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and was president of the Davidson Brigade.
In his inaugural speech last year, Amon spoke about the RFS leaving “an indelible mark upon my commitment to public service”, with the Black Summer bushfires the catalyst for his journey to Macquarie Street.
His brigade was deployed to the South Coast, and he described how his fellow volunteers “barrelled from suburb to suburb throughout the City of Shoalhaven and Eurobodalla for weeks, doing our best to save homes and businesses from ruin”.
“We saved some but lost many more. Every single loss hurt. No number of saves could take away that pain,” he told parliament.
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