Liberals in search for a woman to replace Kelly O’Dwyer

PM rejects suggestions MPs are weighing up their careers ahead of possible poll defeat, accusing ALP of ‘sledging’ Kelly O’Dwyer.

Kelly O'Dwyer with her husband and two children, arrive with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife for a joint press conference announcing her departure yesterday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has accused Labor leader Bill Shorten’s office of “sledging” Liberal frontbencher Kelly O’Dwyer on social media for announcing her decision to leave politics to spend more time with family.

Mr Morrison today rejected suggestions his MPs were weighing up their political careers given polls pointing to a Coalition defeat.

Mr Shorten earlier said the Morrison government was mired in instability and questioned how many more cabinet ministers would quit before the federal election.

“The very reason, as Kelly explained it to me as the reason she was stepping down, was because she didn’t want to serve another three years as a minister,” Mr Morrison said. “She’s made a difficult decision, but one I really support”.

The Prime Minister said it was the time of year when MPs were likely to make a decision on their political careers, but said people “should be careful about how we characterise these decisions”.

“How about you just give them the benefit of the doubt that they are actually doing it for the reasons they are saying so”.

Mr Morrison also signalled he was prepared to consider a review of a ban put in place by Tony Abbott preventing MPs from employing their wives and partners on staff, but stressed it was not an immediate priority and he would make no immediate changes.

“I’m not contemplating making any changes to that,” he said. “But it’s something particularly for rural members I think is quite relevant … I’m happy to look at that again in the future”.

Mr Morrison noted that former WA Labor MP Tim Hammond had left politics last year to spend more time with his family and that Victorian Labor Senator Jacinta Collins had also just announced her decision to bow out of politics for family reasons.

“If it’s OK for a Labor bloke from Western Australia to say that he’s not going to contest the next election because of family reasons, then it should be all right for Kelly O’Dwyer,” Mr Morrison said. “Even Bill Shorten’s office was sledging Kelly O’Dwyer yesterday on social media. I thought it was pretty ordinary”.

Asked to comment on Ms O’Dwyer’s departure earlier today, the Opposition leader said “millions of Australians” faced strains with balancing their career and family lives.

“I’m a dad, I know what it is like to be away from my three kids,” Mr Shorten said.

“I understand the strains. But I also get that our defence force personnel are away for long periods of time from their families. In fact millions of Australians, working families, have strains.

“So I respect her decision but losing a cabinet minister, no matter what the reason and I think it is very legitimate in this case, just heightens again I think the instability.

“And I wonder if there is going to be more people from the current government, for whatever good reason, just saying that they have had enough and pulling the ripcord and getting off the government aeroplane.”

It’s been revealed a heartbreaking miscarriage she suffered at Parliament House had also contributed to Ms O’Dwyer’s decision not to recontest her Melbourne seat of Higgins at the next election. Instead, she wants to focus on her family and try for a third baby with her husband Jon.

.@KellyODwyer on her resignation from parliament: The reasons are complex, and most compellingly the decisive reasons are very personal.

MORE: https://t.co/zVvUQoIzhE #weekendlive pic.twitter.com/mk4VxknGeb

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) January 19, 2019

Deputy Labor Leader Tanya Plibersek said the departure of the Industrial Relations Minister highlighted the Liberal Party’s dearth of female representation.

“It’s a tough life and we do it because we want a better country for our kids,” Ms Plibersek, a mother of three, told reporters.

“When you get a critical mass (of women) it does change the culture.

“The difference is, we set targets. If you don’t set targets and you don’t make it a priority, nothing changes.

“I don’t think it’s fair to put the pressure on people like Kelly O’Dwyer.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison with MP Kelly O'Dwyer, who announced she would quit politics at the next election.

Liberals search for another woman

The Liberal Party is searching for another woman to replace the frontbencher in her blue-ribbon Melbourne seat.

Ms O’Dwyer, who is also the Minister for Women, is one of the most senior women in the Coalition government.

Both Ms O’Dwyer and Prime Minister Scott Morrison said they wanted a woman to be preselected for her job.

“This seat will be represented incredibly well by one of the very talented people who come forward and I have no doubt that it will be a woman,” Ms O’Dwyer said on Saturday.

A former lawyer, Ms O’Dwyer holds Higgins by eight per cent. Her resignation comes on the back of a battering for the Liberals in the Victorian state election, including in the party’s heartland. The next federal election is expected for May this year.

A handful of women have emerged as potential candidates for the Liberals in the inner-eastern electorate of Higgins, including Victorian Senator Jane Hume, who is keen to switch to the lower house.

“I haven’t made up my mind, but it’s something I’m going to consider,” Senator Hume told The Weekend Australian.

However, Senator Hume said she was conscious of using the opportunity to build the numbers of female Liberal MPs.

“I’m aware that this may be the one opportunity I get to put myself forward in my home seat, but we want more women, not women who move (from the Senate),” Senator Hume said.

Victorian senator Jane Hume. Picture: Russell Shakespeare

Liberal Party’s Hawkesburn branch president Thomas Hudson demanded a rank and file preselection for Ms O’Dwyer’s replacement, and said paediatrician and state election candidate for Prahran Kate Allen was the best choice.

“Higgins needs a strong female candidate with real world experience outside of the political bubble,” he said.

“The Liberal Party has been gifted Katie Allen who was the stand out candidate for Prahran in the State Election. She resonates broadly with the Higgins community. She is the only viable candidate to retain the seat and a future Minister for Health.

“A preselection of the rank and file branch members will undoubtedly validate this and is imperative we hold one given recent disillusionment of members in the seat.”

Dr Allen confirmed she would run for preselection, paying tribute to Ms O’Dwyer.

Former Liberal candidate for Prahran Dr Katie Allen. Picture: Mark Stewart

“(Kelly O’Dwyer has) broken through glass ceilings for women that are incredibly important, including being the first woman to have a child in cabinet,” Dr Allen said.

“That takes commitment and energy and she’s been simply awesome.”

Dr Allen said she was putting herself forward because having served the community through her job at the Royal Children’s Hospital and lived in Higgins for more than 40 years, she believed there was no better way to serve her country.

Some Liberal Party members in the seat have rubbished the ability of Dr Allen to win. Dr Allen had a swing against her of more than 10 per cent in last year’s state election.

“She performed worse than the party in Prahran and if she gets those same results in Higgins federally we will lose the seat,” one source told The Weekend Australian.

— with AAP