Returning to ACT politics and the Liberals Senate candidate Jacob Vadakkedathu also appears to be struggling.

He spoke to the ABC’s Greg Jennett and had a bet each way on public service cuts.

Mr Vadakkedathu – who survived a vote to be disendorsed following allegations of branch stacking only a matter of weeks ago – talked up his record as a 15-year public servant in Finance.

But then went on to suggest that more than 13,000 public service jobs in Canberra needed to go, which would decimate the very community he seeks to represent.

While it is broadly accepted the Liberals have next-to-no chance of knocking off Alicia Payne (12.2%) in Canberra, Andrew Leigh (15.7%) in Fenner or David Smith (12.9%) in Bean, it was expected/hoped they’d wheel out a decent Senate candidate to try to win back the spot they lost in 2022.

After all, the Libs had a Senate seat in the capital from the time the ACT was awarded two seats in 1975, right up until the last election when David Pocock knocked off Zed Seselja.

Labor’s Katy Gallagher won 33% of the primary vote in 2022, but pundits are suggesting the popular former Wallaby, Senator Pocock, might be the first to reach a quota this year.