KATINA CURTIS: Has Ian Goodenough nailed his colours to the mast in latest flyer?

Some funny things land in journalists’ pigeonholes.

Recently, this column received a couple of copies of Ian Goodenough’s latest flyer spruiking his services as a justice of the peace and urging people to contact his electorate office for help with any local issues or Commonwealth services.

Never mind that Parliament House is a good 3700km away from Joondalup.

But the notable thing is not the flyer’s relatively anodyne content but its graphic design — it features the Australian coat of arms, zero party logos and a distinctive green and gold colour scheme.

While you might think Goodenough is being patriotic or subtly backing our Olympic team, for those steeped in politics the colours have just one association: the Nationals.

Cue the side-eye emoji.

Moore is shaping up as one of the interesting seats to watch in the next Federal election campaign, especially after the electoral commission’s proposed redistribution looks to have made the 2022 Labor gains in WA slightly safer.

Goodenough promised Peter Dutton and Michaelia Cash after he lost his preselection in February that he would stick with the Liberals until the next election.

The leadership were worried about the example set by veteran Victorian MP Russell Broadbent, who shifted to the crossbench in November after losing the right to run again as a Liberal.

They are working extra hard to keep Goodenough inside the tent for now.

The Nationals are also working hard to court him.

He’s known as a loyal member, a strong campaigner and an even stronger fundraiser — the latter a not insignificant factor for parties with few incumbents as they stare down the prospect of paying for twin State and Federal campaigns within a year.

Liberals dismissed the green and gold flyer as “Ian playing games”.

His comments to The West’s Jake Dietsch this week will give them further pause for thought.

“I am staying as active as I can in the electorate so I’ve got that option when the time comes,” Goodenough said.

“Whether I run as an independent, the Nationals have asked me to join — I’ve kept that open.”

He’s also made pointed posts on social media backing the WA Nationals’ opposition to tighter gun laws, contrary to the local Liberals’ stance.

Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie, who has long teamed up with Goodenough on the parliamentary friends of shooting group, says it “speaks volumes about his character that he will stand up for what he thinks is right”.

She notes Goodenough was the only Liberal elected in metropolitan Perth in 2022 and says it’s hardly surprising he would be talking to the Nationals about keeping his options open for another go around.

The Nationals have set up branches in metro Perth after changes to the State electoral laws made it necessary for them to look to city voters for political survival.

The party will need some solid dollars behind it to keep its State Upper House members.

Recruitment is going reasonably well and is understood to have picked up several Liberal Party members from Moore, including a couple of Goodenough’s own family.

Federally, the party is eyeing its usual targets of Durack, Forrest and O’Connor.

It’s also excited about the new seat Bullwinkel, which takes in the Perth Hills bit of what is currently Hasluck and joins them to Wheatbelt areas.

This makes it the best opportunity for the Nationals to increase their party room numbers in Canberra.

It would be hard for the country-based party to justify also pouring limited resources into the metro seat of Moore.

The coastal electorate is also seen as ripe for a teal candidate, and there is a Voices Of group getting moving.

Whatever brand he ultimately goes with, Goodenough continues to campaign hard in Moore — some say harder than in a while.

Meanwhile, Liberal preselection victor Vince Connelly has done little on the hustings or the fundraising front since winning the internal party vote in February.

He went back to his job as the RSL’s chief executive, which must remain an apolitical position.

With the Liberals aiming to be battle-ready in case Anthony Albanese calls an early election, the Connelly campaign to introduce himself to the voters of Moore (few of whom were in his previous seat of Stirling) needs to ramp up within a couple of months.

Goodenough has the advantage of incumbency with an electorate communications allowance that means he can send out many flyers spruiking his good deeds.

And they can carry any colour scheme he likes.