Im not raising money to register every combination or permutation of my name. I want my funding to go into communicating my key messages because I think theres a sense of entitlement with lots of blue-ribbon seats.

Felicity Frederico is running against James Newbury (pictured), who has held the seat of Brighton since 2018. Joe Armao

The mother-of-two announced her run on August 31, with a platform of climate action, integrity and gender equality. Earlier that day, Mr Newbury told parliament the Coalition would commit $9 million to revamping Brighton Primary School if it won the November 26 election.

Ms Frederico says the Liberals are sandbagging previously safe Brighton, which the party has held since the early 1950s.

She had been a lifetime Liberal voter before her husbands uncle, Ramon, encouraged her to become a member of the party.

Her daughter Emmie, while at kindergarten, would adorn the windows of then Goldstein MP Andrew Robbs campaign office at the end of their street with her finger paintings. Ms Frederico joked that her daughter viewed Mr Robbs office as her private gallery.

But the consultant, who twice ran for Liberal Party preselection, argues it has failed to keep up to date with a modern Australia.

She points to there being no women representing metropolitan seats in Victorias lower house. Just four of the Liberals 21 members of the Legislative Assembly Roma Britnell, Cindy McLeish, Bridget Vallence and Louise Staley are women, but all represent rural or outer-suburban electorates.

The party I joined is not the party I left, Ms Frederico said.

I joined because I believed and supported free enterprise and small government. It was a party that I respected because it nurtured and encouraged business and individuals.

Since then, the political landscape and the critical issues have changed. While these are still important, climate and equality have come to the forefront, along with integrity.

Ms Frederico formally renounced her party membership in May.

She had previously served on Bayside City Council from 2008 to 2016, including a one-year term as mayor in 2015. That year, she said, 97 per cent of sport pavilions in the council area had no female change rooms, something she made sure to rectify.

Bookies have Labor as the raging favourite to win a third straight election at $1.20, with the Coalition at $4.50, which has blown out from $3 in July.

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Why this teal candidate left the Liberal Party after 17 years - The Australian Financial Review