Sitting Liberal Federal Member for Tangney Dennis Jensen was ousted as the candidate for Tangney for the next federal election during a preselection vote on the weekend.
Former Liberal Party state director Ben Morton beat Dr Jensen 57 votes to seven.
Dr Jensen’s loss comes after a turbulent few weeks, which saw racy excerpts from his unpublished 2004 novel The Sky Warriors published in a story in a national newspaper.
He has since claimed the story damaged his reputation before the preselection votes and has signalled his intention to sue the newspaper for defamation.
Dr Jensen has held the seat of Tangney since 2007 and won it with 64.7 per cent of the two party preferred vote, making it one of the safest Liberal seats in the country.
Dr Robert Isaacs, the 2015 West Australian of the Year, said his ‘wish had come true’.
Last month Dr Isaacs called for Dr Jensen to be disendorsed by the Liberal Party for the seat following comments about remote Aboriginal communities including a reference to ‘noble savages’.
Dr Isaacs, an Aboriginal elder from Langford, said Dr Jensen’s comments had shown he did not represent the people in his electorate.
“When governments get defeated people don’t mourn for them, with Dennis Jensen’s situation, I do not mourn for him,” he said.
He said despite being in one of the safest Liberal seats in the country Dr Jensen never became a minister.
“Dennis Jensen hasn’t achieved that, when you’re in a safe seat like that, you’re inspired to become a minister,” he said.
“He was given an opportunity and he’s failed.
“If he was the most popular member why did they turn on him.”
Dr Isaacs wished Mr Morton well.
Dr Jensen, the Liberal Party and Mr Morton were contacted for comment.
