æt ðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɛvən ᵻlˈɛkʃən, wˌɛn lˈɪbɚɹəl pˈɑːɹɾi mˈɛmbɚ fɔːɹ mˈaʊnt ɡˈæmbiɚ hˈæɹəld ˈælɪsən ɹᵻtˈaɪɚd, ɪt wʌz wˈaɪdli ɛkspˈɛktᵻd ðæt mək jˈuːən wʊd wˈɪn ðə lˈɪbɚɹəl pɹɪsᵻlˈɛkʃən fɚðə sˈiːt.
At the 1997 election, when Liberal Party member for Mount Gambier Harold Allison retired, it was widely expected that McEwen would win the Liberal preselection for the seat.