Defeated Liberal candidate for Mayo Georgina Downer to sever ties with South Australia
Georgina Downer – defeated Liberal candidate for Mayo and daughter of Alexander Downer – is ending a 40-year dynasty by cutting ties with South Australia and moving back to Victoria.
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Georgina Downer is cutting ties with South Australia and moving back to Victoria – ending a 40-year dynasty.
The corporate lawyer daughter of former senior Liberal MP Alexander and granddaughter of Sir Alick broke the news to the Liberal party members last night.
Ms Downer this morning confirmed to The Advertiser she was moving back to Victoria in January.
She twice failed to win the seat of Mayo, losing to independent Rebekha Sharkie.
Ms Downer, 40, an adjunct fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs broke the news at a meeting of the Mayo Liberals’ federal electoral college last night.
She thanked members for their support and confirmed she and her family would be returning to Melbourne.
Her husband, Will Heath, is a partner at the multinational law firm King & Wood Mallesons and has been commuting between the firm’s Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney offices, which has been a juggling act with their two young children.
Speaking to the The Advertiser in May this year, in the aftermath of her Mayo defeat, Ms Downer questioned whether attacks on her supposed family privilege and sense of entitlement were sharpened because of her gender.
She also said she would prefer to be known as a married mother of two, rather than the defeated spear carrier for the Downer dynasty.
“Ultimately, I’d like people to take me as someone, you know, I’m almost 40, married mother of two and I’ve been in the workforce for almost 20 years,” she told The Advertiser at the time.
“I mean, being defined as your father’s daughter the whole time is quite demeaning. I’m Georgina Downer, not someone’s daughter. I’m very happily Dad’s daughter but I’m very happily Mum’s daughter.
“And I just wondered too, is there an issue because I’m the daughter? Like, if I was the son would it be different?
“I found there is quite a lot of, you know: ‘Little princess’. I mean, come on.”
On what was next for her, Ms Downer said at the time she was unsure but planned to stay in the area.
“We just renewed the lease on a house (in Mayo) and this is where we want to stay.
“But I don’t know (about a political future). I’ve got to chat to my husband, see how my kids are going and think about the future — but probably take some time just to catch up on my Game of Thrones.”