Simon Kennedy picked to replace Scott Morrison in safe Liberal seat Cook

The Liberal Party has preselected a former McKinsey consultant to replace retired former prime minister Scott Morrison in his southern Sydney seat.

Simon Kennedy beat local mayor Carmelo Pesce 158 votes to 90 in the final round of voting tonight, putting him in the box seat to enter parliament in the very safe Liberal seat of Cook.

Kennedy isn't from the area and at the 2022 election failed to hold the inner-city seat of Bennelong, which was won by Labor's Jerome Laxale. 

At the time, Kennedy vocally opposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates when running for the seat but said he and his family were vaccinated and encouraged others to do likewise.

The Liberals hold Cook, in Cronulla, with a margin of more than 12 per cent.

Labor reportedly doesn't plan to field a candidate to contest the seat.

Morrison gave his final speech to parliament last month but a date is yet to be set for the byelection.