Liberal MP Gabrielle Upton resigns leaving a hot seat open for blue bloods to snatch

Liberal MP Gabrielle Upton will leave “big shoes to fill” when she retires before the state election, forcing her party to face the future. Here are the names in the running.

NSW Liberals are facing a critical pre­selection test in the prized blue-ribbon seat of Vaucluse ahead of the 2023 state election – with Woollahra mayor Susan Wynne shaping as an early frontrunner.

Sitting member Gab­rielle Upton announced she will retire from politics before the March election, forcing the party to tackle its strategy against a potential challenge by the Teal independents as the wealthy inner-city seat is prime territory for a contest.

Bruised from the loss of the overlapping seat of Wentworth at the federal election to Teal independent Allegra Spender, senior party sources are determined not to make the same mistakes.

Sources said the party will need to address its gender inequality problem by installing a high-profile female candidate with ministerial ­potential.

But Premier Dominic Perrottet fell short of guaranteeing a female candidate and said: “The preselection process is a matter for the NSW Liberal Party, they will conduct that preselection and whoever is selected has big shoes to fill.”

NSW Liberal member for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton has announced her pre-election retirement from politics. Picture: Mick Tsikas

Woollahra Mayor Susan Wynne is considered a likely contestant with Liberals impressed with her strong ties to the community.

Liberal figures are also urging former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s daughter Daisy Turnbull to run, believing she would be popular in the eastern suburbs electorate, but Ms Turnbull is still weighing her options.

Daisy Turnbull, Malcolm Turnbull’s daughter is among the names in the running.

Mayor of Woollahra Susan Wynne is an early favourite. Picture: John Appleyard

Former TV presenter and one-time Willoughby hopeful Kellie Sloane is also believed to be considering putting her hand up, as is Export Council director Cristina Talacko.

Ms Sloane, who has been ­approached by several senior Liberals, is assessing the federal loss of Mr Sharma for the party’s internal election post-mortem.

Could Cristina Talacko be the one to fend off a Teal burn in Vaucluse? Picture: John Feder/The Australian.

One senior Liberal source told The Daily Telegraph the Vaucluse preselection was an opportunity to right the wrongs of the federal Liberal preselections, which were seen as “silly factional games”.

Ms Talacko told The Daily Telegraph she was considering a tilt, saying: “It’s not an enormous personal ambition but it’s more in terms of contribution to the party.”

Other names in the mix of candidates include NSW Liberal Women’s Council president and party Vice President Mary-Lou Jarvis and Woollahra councillor Richard Shields.

Ms Jarvis did not comment on the pre-selection but chose to pay tribute to outgoing Ms Upton.

“Now is the time we recognise the wonderful work that Gabrielle has done for our area and also her role as a minister and as the first female attorney general,” she said.