Jess Wilson: Meet the new Liberals leader who has the Allan govt spooked
The former businesswoman, lawyer and political adviser has upped her social media game in recent months and is becoming an increasingly recognisable face to voters. Now she is the new leader of the Victorian Liberal Party.
Political go-getter Jess Wilson will lead the Victorian opposition into next year’s election after Brad Battin lost a leadership challenge on Tuesday morning.
Ms Wilson, a former businesswoman, lawyer and political adviser, is considered a moderate and a rising star in the Liberal Party whose promotion to shadow treasurer last month spooked the Allan government.
The Kew MP, who was elected to parliament in 2022, was quickly initiated into the shadow ministry before rising up to take over the busy education portfolio where she led sharp messaging on the state’s childcare abuse scandal.
The top performer and young mum, who had her first child, Patrick, with husband Aaron last year, has upped her social media game and media performance in recent months, becoming an increasingly recognisable face to voters.
While her critics consider her to be lacking in political experience, with the MP yet to complete a full term, it is understood her popularity within the Liberal Party has improved since taking over as shadow treasurer.
With a steady grasp on the numbers, Ms Wilson has quickly proved she can prosecute a disciplined argument against the Labor’s soaring debt spiral.
It is also widely acknowledged the cross factional delegation of MPs who approached Mr Battin on Monday night were united behind Ms Wilson – a feat that recent leadership candidates have not been able to pull off.
During the last leadership spill — less than a year ago — Ms Wilson had put herself forward to replace John Pesutto but was unsuccessful, with Mr Battin taking over instead.
In her inaugural speech in 2022, Ms Wilson called her dad, who was also a president of the Monash Liberal Club at university, her “first political hero”.
She also gave a shout out to former federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who she worked for as an adviser, calling him a mentor and good friend.
Ms Wilson holds her blue ribbon eastern suburbs seat by a margin of four per cent.
Prior to politics, Ms Wilson was the executive director of policy and company secretary at the Business Council of Australia, leading national reform on energy, tax, infrastructure, skills, digital security and the business sector’s Covid-19 response.
Raised in Mont Albert, Ms Wilson attended Strathcona Girls’ Grammar before completing a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Politics and History) at Monash University.
She was later admitted as an Australian Lawyer in the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Originally published as Jess Wilson: Meet the new Liberals leader who has the Allan govt spooked
