Josh Frydenberg concedes it’s ‘difficult’ for him to retain Kooyong as Monique Ryan leads

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg had been touted as a future prime minister, but now he may not even have a seat in parliament.

Josh Frydenberg had been touted as a future prime minister. Now he may not even have a seat in parliament.

The incumbent Treasurer and deputy leader of the Liberal Party is on the cusp of losing to one of the high profile “teal” independents, Monique Ryan.

Mr Frydenberg – who would be the biggest scalp among a great many Liberal victims – held his electorate Kooyong with a margin of 13 per cent after the last election. It seems that was not enough to hold off Dr Ryan’s challenge.

“While it’s mathematically possible that we win in Kooyong, it’s definitely difficult,” Mr Frydenberg told supporters at 10pm on election night.

Kooyong has been held by the Liberals since 1945.

Ms Ryan appeared before her supporters around 10.30pm, proclaiming “Kooyong, our climate has changed”.

She said she had not prepared a victory speech and she was not making a victory speech, “it’s just a thank you to all of you”.

“Kooyong’s never going to be quite the same again,” she said.

“Our government was not listening to us, so we have changed the government — and that is the power of the people.”

Earlier Mr Frydenberg and his wife Amy both welled up with tears as he paid tribute to her support.

“They say in politics that politicians are the volunteers and our families are the conscripts. And a truer word couldn’t have been said. Because the fact is, I have been supported every single day of this job by the most remarkable partner in life, my wife Amy,” he said.

“Amy has been the most extraordinary mum, and maybe after tonight I’ll get a bit more time to try and be the most extraordinary dad.

“So I just wanted to say, in front of you all, I am nothing without my family. They are the most important thing in the world to me, and I will try every single day to be the most important thing in the world to them. So thank you, darling. Thank you.”

Josh Frydenberg and his partner Amy both teared up.

The Treasurer has been the local MP for more than 10 years and has easily dispatched challenges from Greens candidates in the past.

But Dr Ryan was a different opponent. She is the director of neurology at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and gained traction as a Climate 200-backed candidate.

Dr Ryan supports faster action on climate change, as well as an independent integrity commission and gender equality policies, including the payment of superannuation to women who are on maternity leave.

In contrast, Mr Frydenberg, who controversially claimed he has the vote of Dr Ryan’s mother-in-law, had defended his government’s polices, including on climate change, saying it was not about targets but “the plan to get there”.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg debates Monique Ryan. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw

He said Australia had reduced emissions by 20 per cent, and the government had rolled out renewables, was investing in Snowy Hydro 2.0 and was setting up hydrogen hubs to reduce carbon emissions and ensure the stability of the electricity grid.

Mr Frydenberg also defended the government’s integrity commission model, saying it was ultimately up to the courts to decide guilt or innocence, and allowing public hearings could see politicians’ reputations ruined even if they were eventually found to be innocent.

In a sign of the dire state of Mr Frydenberg’s vote ahead of Saturday’s poll, former prime minister John Howard appeared on the hustings with him this week, praising him as “the man who masterminded Australia’s economic recovery out of the pandemic”.

Some argued the loss of Mr Frydenberg could impact the future direction of the Liberal Party, pointing out that if the Coalition lost the election and Mr Frydenberg was also dumped, the Liberal leadership would almost certainly go to those on the hard-right like Peter Dutton.