New Liberal leader Mark Speakman opens up about his role as opposition leader

There have been some unflattering words said about new Liberals leader Mark Speakman, but the man himself is ready for the challenge of unifying a disgruntled party.

Ask Liberals how they would sum up their new leader Mark Speakman, and the responses are not always flattering.

“Intensely boring”. “Too bright for his own good”. “Safe and steady” “Charismatic … in an unconventional way”. “Vanilla ice cream … without the vanilla”.

Those closest to him say they understand the responses, but that you need to dig a little deeper into the man who is married to Caroline and has two adult kids, daughter Kate and son Matt.

The Cambridge-educated barrister is, after all, a lawyer – and senior counsel, no less – one former long-serving Cabinet minister advised.

“They’re a special breed,” the former minister said. “Mark’s a special breed. But he is very, very clever. Extremely ethical. Rational. He has incredible capacity as a thinker and will get the policy right before the politics. And he does have a dry sense of humour.”

Mark Speakman with his dog Lucy. He says he plans to get the Liberals back into power in four years. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Asked how he felt about being compared with vanilla ice-cream, Speakman replies: “What about the sprinkles?”

He is unperturbed by the character assessment, noting “I’m a hard-worker, and have been all my life,” he said.

“I’m not here to be an entertainer,” he said.

“I think I’ve got a good sense of humour. But my job is not to be a stand-up comedian. I’m here to make the lives of the people of NSW better.”

Raised in Sutherland Shire – he was captain at Caringbah High School and dux recipient of the University of Sydney medal – Speakman was a law firm partner at age 28 before appointed an SC 16 years later.

Speakman with his wife Caroline. Picture: Tim Hunter.

He became the member for Cronulla in the 2011 after moving up through the party hierarchy, from local branch member to the secretary of the Cook Federal Electorate Conference – during which he met Scott Morrison.

Morrison, who said he had known Speakman for 25 years, was effusive in his praise and revealed he had encouraged the former Attorney-General to run for the NSW party leadership.

“I encouraged him to step up,” Morrison said.

“I knew it wasn’t necessarily his first choice. He responded to the call of the moment, and it doesn’t surprise me that he did.

“Mark was the standout Attorney-General in the country. He has an intellectual capacity which is next level. He can really genuinely consider the merits of things. He can hear people – he is not blinkered by ideology. He is not JFK – that is not his style. But he is incredibly strong and works hard. He has a work ethic which I tend to think I share.”

Mark Speakman as a youngster playing soccer.

Speakman ready for a night out in his youth.

It was speculated – after former premier Dominic Perrottet stepped down – that Speakman’s preferred move was to take over Morrison’s federal seat of Cook.

However, Morrison said Speakman was what the NSW party needed right now.

“Opposition is hard,” he said.

“Mark is very disciplined. He likes to make good decisions. He’s got the strength to resist the demands and the shouts and will take his time. When everyone else is hyper-charged, Mark is steady. I think the people of Cronulla will be very proud of him.”

His first weeks have been less than ideal. As Labor basks in the glow of its victory, the Liberals have been knifing each other over roles while the Nationals were last week threatening to expel an MP if he accepted an invitation by Labor to take the role of Upper House president.

Mark Speakman during question time. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

The fracas has continued despite Speakman already addressing MPs about the need for unity, focus and discipline when he took on the leadership.

“I’ve already told them,” Speakman said when asked whether he was frustrated at his team.

“Look, it’s only been 12 days. This is a long haul process. Discipline is an ongoing process.

“This is a four-year project to win the next election. I expect every Liberal MP to work hard, be disciplined and focused – and not on each other.”

Dubbed “progressive” by his colleagues – although “no Matt Kean”, Speakman – who is largely credited with spearheading coercive control laws – was also the key architect of the State’s positive consent laws.

He is keen to continue to engage in the discussion among the State and Territories Attorneys-General to raise the age of criminality – although would like to see what the “alternative” for those beneath the age might look like – and believes everyone “regardless of their biological sex or gender identity” should be treated with respect.

He is also keeping a close eye on the progress of the implementation of his former government’s ice inquiry response, including the infringement notice scheme.

On the Voice, Speakman will not share his thoughts: “I want to discuss the issue with my shadow ministerial colleagues and as a party see whether we have a common position, whether we say no, or yes, or have a free vote.”

He does have a view on immigration, declaring the migrant intake of 400,000 people to enter the country this year as “probably too much” given many will end up in Sydney.

“I don’t know how NSW or Sydney going to absorb that number of people,” he said.

“And at the end of the day, it is the state government that is caught in the middle, that has to deal with it. I believe in an immigration program, but I have concerns at 400,000. It does

put an enormous strain on infrastructure.”

On rising inflation – and interest rate rises – Speakman said it was for these reasons the Minns government should refrain from scrapping active kids vouchers.

Retired minister Rob Stokes said Speakman was the best fit to take the party to the next election.

“He has so much natural intelligence,” he said.

“The challenge for the party room will be to have the disclpine to stick with mark for the duration.”