Election 2022: Would-be MP Monique Ryan’s policies a mystery

Monique Ryan who is threatening to unseat Josh Frydenberg will not have a detailed tax policy.

Independent candidate Monique Ryan, who is contesting the Melbourne seat of Kooyong against Josh Frydenberg, campaigns in Hawthorn on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

The independent climate candidate Monique Ryan will go to the polls without a workable tax policy or a manifesto on defence amid the China regional build-up.

A constituent in the hotly contested Victorian seat of Kooyong extracted concessions from Ms Ryan’s campaign in a series of questions on key policy questions, including tax increases, imposts for self-funded retirees, budget ­repair, defence, China and the pandemic.

Ms Ryan’s campaign director, Ann Capling, told constituent Tim Gillespie, a Liberal Party member, that it would not be the candidate’s role to make tax policy or to decide whether to go to war.

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This was because she would, if elected, sit on the crossbench and not be responsible for either running the government or acting as a formal opposition.

“Dr Ryan would not be making tax policies or declaring war,” Dr Capling wrote to Mr Gillespie.

“In her meetings with Kooyong residents, she has been hearing about people’s desire for more ­urgent climate action, for an ­economy that invests in Aus­tralian innovation, renewable energy and clean technology, and for the end of secrecy, rorts and corruption across so many areas of government.

“These are her priority areas where she would use her voice and vote in parliament to secure Australia’s future.”

Mr Gillespie is a Liberal supporter who said he did not agree with all positions taken by Scott Morrison, adding he believed if Dr Ryan were to win the seat, she should have detailed policies on major areas including tax.

When he received only a part answer to his questions, he tried a second time to extract a response on issues included self-funded retirees. “There’s no real detail on anything,” he said.

“There is almost a cult-like situation in Kooyong. I have an interest in politics and the truth.”

Dr Ryan is considered a solid chance of defeating Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong, which is held by the Liberal Party with a margin of 6.4 per cent.

A spokesman for Dr Ryan said Mr Gillespie had failed to declare he was a Liberal member in his list of questions and had “trolled” Dr Ryan’s campaign. “Writing long emails demanding detailed responses to policy matters is a well-known tactic used by the Liberal Party to try to waste the time of volunteers working on campaigns of their opponents,’’ he said.

“As you can see, Mr Gillespie is deploying time-worn tactics to attempt to cause minor disruptions to an opponent’s campaign.’’

 

Liberal Party campaign mat­erial has attacked Dr Ryan’s commentary on the economy, where she said earlier this year that she did not see herself as being an influential player on the economy.

“I don’t see myself, my role as an independent, as having a massive role on the economy,” she said in comments used for Liberal ads.

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson said it was astonishing Dr Ryan was unable to detail policies.

“The key question for these so-called independents is where are your detailed policies on important issues, the economy, national security and tax,’’ she said.

“To say you don’t have policies on these issues is a cop-out and not good enough. A candidate seeking election to the Australian parliament must do better than this.”

The Australian this week asked Dr Ryan, through her office, for her policy positions on key issues.

She said in the event of a hung parliament, she would support the party (or parties) with the values that most aligned to Kooyong, including cutting emissions by at least 60 per cent by 2030.

“The 2030 targets of both major parties are inadequate. My decision to grant supply to one party or another will be informed in part by their position on their 2030 emissions reduction target,” she said. On increasing the defence budget to 3 per cent, she said if elected, she would be informed by expert advice, including from the Department of Defence.