Election 2025: Teal MP Monique Ryan refuses to answer questions after frosty live TV exchange

Teal MP Monique Ryan has kept up her frosty front, refusing to answer questions while campaigning outside pre-polling stations in Kooyong | WATCH

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Teal MP Monique Ryan has refused to answer questions about local planning issues, social media influencers producing political material and Climate 200 donations to her campaign, insisting she was at polling stations to “engage with voters”.

Despite standing on a platform of transparency and integrity in politics, Dr Ryan has declined to respond in any detail to a series of questions put to her by The Australian while she handed out how-to-vote cards at polling booths in her seat of Kooyong.

Asked outside a pre-polling station at St George’s Anglican Church on Tuesday afternoon if she supported Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan’s high-density residential towers in affluent suburbs in Kooyong, Dr Ryan directed The Australian to organise an interview with her media adviser, adding “I think my position on it is well documented”.

The Australian: “So, you’re not going to take any questions at the moment?”

Dr Ryan: “No, I’m really trying to engage with voters. Thank you. I’m scheduling media stuff outside of the time where I’m trying to engage with voters … I’m here for a reason.”

The Australian: “Can you touch on how much Climate 200 has donated to your campaign?”

Dr Ryan: “As I said, I’m here to speak with voters. Thank you.”

The Australian: “How about how much you’re spending on your social media campaign?”

Dr Ryan: “Thank you, I’m here to talk with voters.”

The Australian: “Do you support MPs and candidates paying influencers to create political content?”

Ryan: “I’m speaking with voters, thank you.”

Dr Ryan told The Australian her position on Jacinta Allan’s high-density residential towers in Kooyong was “well documented”. Picture: Supplied/X

A Sky News reporter engaged in a similarly frosty exchange with the Kooyong independent MP on Tuesday morning, when Dr Ryan refused to take questions live on national television at the Malvern polling centre.

“I am here to engage with voters, we’re in pre-poll (voting),” Dr Ryan told Sky.

“It’s the middle of an election campaign. I’m not sure it’s ideal for you to be interrupting that process.

“I have declined an interview with you already.”

The former pediatric neurologist turned politician was recently caught out during an ABC interview for claiming undisclosed political ads paid for by independent MP Allegra Spender were not a “big issue”.

“We pay to generate the content we put to the voters,” Dr Ryan told Insiders host David Speers.

“I’m not sure there’s a big issue there.”

When asked whether it should be clear to voters that the influencer content was paid for by a politician, Dr Ryan said she would have to “give it some thought”.

“Ah, look, I don’t really have an opinion on it,” she added.

Dr Ryan is facing a challenge from Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer to hold the traditional Liberal heartland electorate she won from former federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg in 2022.