Jeff Kennett: Liberals put their faith in women leaders and Jess Wilson has best shot of being elected
Four women now lead Liberal Party branches across Australia, but it’s in Victoria where Jess Wilson has the best chance to turf out toxic Labor.
Female leaders appointed to lead the Liberal Party — federally and in Victoria, NSW and South Australia. In our women do we place our trust.
Sussan Ley has the most political experience, having entered the federal parliament in 2001. She served as a minister under three prime ministers — Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison — and deputy leader of the opposition under Peter Dutton.
Importantly, she has some very experienced members among her team. They have the capacity to form a good government should they win the next federal election.
The opposition also has a secret agent within the government, Chris Bowen, working for the defeat of the Labor government. Energy prices and the cost of living will clearly decide the next election.
Party discipline will now be the most important ingredient to their success.
There is talk of a new party being formed — forget it. The pendulum is already swinging, and its momentum will only increase over the next two years.
In Victoria, Jess Wilson has been elevated to the leadership and got off to a good start. People who were begging for a reason to vote the Andrews/Allan government from office have been given a genuine reason.
Jess is young, enthusiastic, hardworking, and a young mother who will not only relate to her own age group, but also to many senior women who have previously voted teal. They have children and grandchildren, like Jess, and are trying to maximise the opportunities in their lives.
However, she does not have the parliamentary experience of a Sussan Ley, having entered the parliament only three years ago. She will have to make some tough decisions between now and the election in 12 months, and again after the election if they win.
Wilson has the best chance of the four female leaders I am referring to in this column of being elected to government in the short term.
They also have an asset working for them — the record of the Andrews and Allan government and their total mismanagement of Victoria’s economy, which is now adversely affecting all Victorian families and businesses.
Labor is simply toxic in the minds of an increasing number of Victorians.
Jess has taken upon herself the huge task of leading the opposition and also the treasury portfolio.
Again, the key to the Coalition’s success will in part be the unity they display between now and the election.
In NSW, another new member to parliament has been elected unopposed to lead the Liberal Opposition.
Kellie Sloane, like Jess Wilson, was only elected to the NSW parliament at the last election. Although with little parliamentary experience, she does have a fairly high public profile, having been a television journalist before entering politics.
NSW’s next election is not until 2027, so Kellie has considerable time to adjust to the role and develop policies for the future, but she has a more challenging task than Jess Wilson as the NSW Labor government is very different from its southern sister.
Then in South Australia on Monday, Ashton Hurn was elected as the Liberal Party’s leader just three months out from their state election.
Thank you, Ashton, for taking on an almost impossible task at such short notice. Going into the festive season makes her challenge even harder.
Hurn, like Wilson and Sloane, is also a first-term MP.
I have always thought one needed to serve a significant political apprenticeship before one was ready to lead a government, but I have been wrong before and hope I am proven so again. After all, Jacinta Allan had a 24-year apprenticeship and has totally failed.
So, four female leaders of the Liberal oppositions. Let’s hope any or all of these four very talented women can do what their male colleagues could not: win.
Federally, Barnaby Joyce — formerly leader of the National Party, and as such a former deputy prime minister — has resigned from the National Party and joined One Nation.
What an extraordinary act of selfishness against the party that gave him the wonderful opportunity to serve in our federal parliament and the country.
I have always had a begrudging respect for Pauline Hanson. She is both a fighter and survivor. You may not always agree with what she says, but she does relate well to a large section of the community.
But I fear by allowing Barnaby Joyce into her camp, she might have done great damage to One Nation’s standing.
That Joyce says he will stand for a Senate seat in NSW — instead of running for a lower house seat — is an indication he is not that confident of his popularity. Time will tell. Pauline knows best, but she might have just applied an asp to her breast.
Politics, what fun. Who cares? But we all should.
Jeff Kennett is a former premier of Victoria
