Former federal senator Ursula Stephens will be formally endorsed by her party in Sydney on November 7.

She was the only pre-selection nominee after Goulburn Mulwaree councillor Robin Saville and Yass-based data analyst Anna Ritson didn’t lodge applications.

“I am genuinely excited by this campaign,” she said yesterday.

“It’s going to be fun. I have nothing to lose but Goulburn has everything to gain if it becomes a marginal seat.”

She said her five month campaign “starts now” and will run off a “targeted seat” strategy that will have strong financial and logistical support from Labor headquarters.

It will be a significant departure from the party’s pitiful 2011 attempt when it fielded an almost anonymous Sydney-based university student who was given virtually zero in campaign funds and resources.

“If we are to win government, we have to win country seats,” she said.

“And we have been trying to get head office to pay attention to our seat (Goulburn), to make it marginal.”

Dr Stephens convinced Sussex Street and the State Electorate Council (SEC) that if they committed more to winning the seat, she would stand.

“They saw I could provide an electoral advantage. They saw I had the potential to give it a red hot go.

“I make no bones that I think I can energise and reinvigorate Labor in this seat.”

She said local Labor’s 2011 debacle was the wake-up call it needed.

“We hadn’t mentored anyone locally to be a decent candidate so (after 2011) we put in a place a system where we would foster new members in the party,” she said.

One of those was Mrs Ritson, the Yass branch secretary.

“She’s brilliant. Labor’s in good shape with people like her in the party,” she said.

She said Mr Saville – who tells the Post today of his dissatisfaction with the candidate selection process – had the opportunity to stand in 2011 and lodge pre-selection for next year.

“Robin ran against Alby Schultz federally in 2010 and the party afforded him the opportunity to run against Pru in 2011 but he didn’t want to.

“No-one forced him to withdraw from the pre-selection race this time around.

“I was expecting a ballot, and expecting Robin’s name to be there … in fact everything was put in place for credentialing on November 1 (to enable members to vote) so I was genuinely surprised to learn that is not happening now.”

(We think the last time Goulburn Labor was involved in a pre-selection ballot was at the 1990 federal election when Mick Shea out balloted Max Hadlow for the right to contest Gilmore.) Dr Stephens, who retired in June after more than 12 years in federal parliament, said she didn’t make a decision on running until a few weeks ago.

“After parliament, I was stuffed! “There was much to consider, especially Bob’s condition (her husband suffered a stroke earlier this year),” she said.

“I have never been coy about this. And I don’t play games.”

She will open her campaign office in Goulburn’s CBD “within weeks”.

It’s been 30 years since her husband also contested Goulburn as a Labor candidate when he lost to The Nationals’ Robert Webster.

“Bob’s already ordered for me a whole heap of Vista magnetic strips for the car,” his wife said yesterday.

“It’s going to be fun with him by my side! 

YASS Labor Branch secretary Anna Ritson paved the way clear for Ursula Stephens’ state election tilt last week by not nominating for pre-selection.

In a statement she said: “I made the decision late last week after discussing with my family and my branch, not to nominate for the seat of Goulburn (this time!) “With two children, one school age, the other non-school age, a demanding job, branch secretary and motorsport commitments, free time for me can get pretty scarce,” she said.

“Labor needs someone who can campaign seven days a week to win the seat of Goulburn and I freely acknowledge that at this stage, I’m unable to do that.

“I think most people will understand how much of a juggling act life/work/kids etc can be sometimes and I’d hate to let one of the balls fall to the ground!

“Ursula is a fantastic candidate and will be an outstanding member for Goulburn. I will be throwing all my energy and positivity into her Goulburn campaign and will be a part of her campaign team. I am still just as excited and enthusiastic about this campaign as I always have been, and remain focussed on the task at hand - winning the seat of Goulburn.