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Outgoing Victorian Liberal Party president Greg Mirabella at the party\u2019s state council on Saturday.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Simon Schluter<\/cite><\/p>\n That\u2019s the spot left vacant by David Van<\/b>, who was turfed from the Liberal Party in June after he was accused of sexual harassment \u2013 which he denies \u2013 and now sits as an independent.<\/p>\n But getting the nod, when the party makes its decision in November, might not be a walk-up start for Mirabella, with a couple of interesting names on the list of contenders issued to party members on Monday morning.<\/p>\n Independent candidate and snake catcher Jarrod Bingham.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Rachael Dexter<\/cite><\/p>\n Our eye was caught by Jarrod Bingham<\/b>, the snake-catching (that\u2019s his actual job) former regional councillor who ran as an independent for the state seat of Melton in the 2022 Victorian election against the Liberals\u2019 Graham Watt <\/b>\u2013 and managed to be the best of the rest behind the two major parties, outpolling the Greens.<\/p>\n After that effort, Bingham\u2019s application for Liberal Party membership had to go for approval to the state council, which probably decided that a bloke who knows how to handle dangerous reptiles would be handy to have around.<\/p>\n Also in the mix are former Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Karyn Sobels<\/b>, who brings a wealth of policy experience to her tilt at Senate glory, and former Senate candidate and sometimes-Baptist preacher Kyle Hoppitt<\/b>, who missed out on a spot in 2019, the year Van was elected.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n