Pesce the front-runner in battle for Liberal preselection for Cook

Other Liberals who are looking at running are Simon Kennedy, who was the party's unsuccessful candidate for Bennelong - John Howard's former seat - at the 2022 election, and war widow Gwen Cherne, the inaugural Veteran Family Advocate Commissioner on the Repatriation Commission, who withdrew from the Hughes pre-selection contest because of a dual-citizenship issue, which has since been resolved.

Mr Morrison will resign from parliament at the end of February, with a by-election possible as early as April.

Mr Morrison reiterated during an interview with the Leader he would not involve himself in the contest and had made that clear to party members.

"I look forward to a strong field," he said. "I am not going to endorse anyone, I don't have a pick in this. I will be backing whoever they pick."

Mr Morrison "commended" Mark Speakman, who would have been an obvious choice had he not, in 2023, taken on the role of state opposition leader and ruled himself out of a move to federal politics.

"Taking on the leadership of a party after an election loss - that's done for love, passion and service to your party," Mr Morrison said.

"I applaud him. That is quite a self-sacrificing act. It shows how serious the guy is."

In his resignation statement, Mr Morrison thanked Cr Pesce along with other MPs and councillors, but subsequently declined to comment on him being a candidate for Cook preselection.

In 2020, after Cr Pesce lost the mayor's position to Cr Steve Simpson, Mr Morrison predicted he would be back, saying, "Carmelo is the real deal. Unvarnished, authentic, kind hearted and community minded. I am sure he will continue to serve our area in this or any other capacity, into the future".

Cr Pesce, 55, was elected to the council in 2012 and is in his eighth year as mayor.

Married, with three children and one grandchild, he lives at Taren Point within the Cook electorate.

He is a business owner in the hospitality industry, with venues at Cronulla, Elouera and Gymea. He also operates a shopfitting business.

Deputy mayor and Liberal Party member Carol Provan said she thought Cr Pesce would be a "fantastic" member for Cook.

"He has been a great mayor, he has really blossomed in the job," she said.

"When he started, I thought 'He's a bit hot headed and everything else', but he has worked so hard and supported everyone and he's very fair.

"People say, 'Well he's not an academic'. I think maybe that's a good thing.

"He knows how to run a business, he knows what people need. I think he would be a great asset for the community and I hope the Liberal Party support him."

On the present boundaries, the Liberals have a 12.4 per cent margin in Cook, following a swing of eight per cent against Mr Morrison at the 2022 election.

An electoral redistribution, which is close to being finalised, could change the boundaries.

The Labor Party has called for the seat of Hughes to be abolished and the voters within it redistributed to the adjoining seats of Cook, Cunningham, Banks and Fowler.

The Liberal Party proposes Cook expand north, taking the suburbs of Rockdale, Kogarah, east of the Illawarra railway line, along with Brighton-Le-Sands and Kyeemagh.

This would mean the whole of Lady Robinson's Beach would be in Cook.

The Electoral Commissioner is due to release a report on proposed boundary changes in the first quarter of 2024.

There will then be a period for objections before the announcement of final electoral divisions.