Liberals split on Josh Frydenberg return in Kooyong

Josh Frydenberg is being urged to declare within days if he is interested in running for Kooyong at the next election, with Liberals split.

Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

Josh Frydenberg is being urged to “put up or shut up” and declare within days whether he is interested in running for the Melbourne seat of Kooyong at the next election, amid concerns that prolonged speculation over the issue will distract from Peter Dutton’s pursuit of Labor’s failures.

Victorian Liberals are split over a push for preselections to be reopened in Kooyong and Chisholm if the Australian Electoral Commission’s draft redistribution proposal for the state’s federal seats is made final in October.

The draft AEC proposal, which will be objected to by the Liberal Party, would see Higgins abolished with more than half of its booths going to Kooyong and Chisholm.

The Australian understands Mr Frydenberg will consider contesting Kooyong if the Victorian Liberal Party holds another pre­selection for the Melbourne seat, as can be done if there are large boundary changes to an ­electorate.

The Liberals’ preselected candidate for Kooyong is 31-year-old Oxford graduate and financial services professional Amelia Hamer, with Mr Frydenberg opting not to contest the preselection for the seat in March despite being encouraged by senior party figures, including the Opposition Leader.

While some Liberals say Mr Frydenberg would be the most likely person to beat teal MP Monique Ryan under the new boundaries, others say it would be a “hard one to sell” for the party to oust a female candidate who will be on the ground campaigning until at least October.

There are supporters of Mr Frydenberg within the federal parliamentary party who believe he should have run for preselection earlier in the year and it was unworkable for a new ballot to be called in October, given Ms Hamer has been the candidate since March.

Former Liberal MP and Higgins candidate Katie Allen is being urged by party figures to consider running for the seat of Chisholm, paving the way for Mr Frydenberg to run for Kooyong without impacting the gender balance of candidates.

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett urged Mr Frydenberg to “put up or shut up” and publicly declare whether he wanted to contest the seat of Kooyong.

Mr Kennett, a backer of Ms Hamer, said talks of a push for a fresh preselection in the seat were “unfortunate and divisive”.

“Josh should declare one way or the other very quickly whether he is going to recommit or not because it is very unfair to the process and for Peter Dutton to have this swirling around for weeks,” he told The Australian.

Amelia Hamer.

Katie Allen. Picture: Aaron Francis

Federal Liberal MP and former cabinet minister Karen Andrews backed Mr Frydenberg running for the seat. “We need to have the strongest political offering possible in Victoria after this significant redistribution and Josh Frydenberg and his experience is it,” the former cabinet minister said. “The boundary changes that affect Higgins, Kooyong and Chisholm represent an opportunity for the Liberals.”

In a thinly veiled swipe at the preselection push, Ms Hamer declared on social media on Sunday that voters in Kooyong “support strong women”.

“Women can do anything,” she posted on X in a photo with Koo­yong local Eileen Cikamatana, who won the gold medal at the OWF International Elite Tournament at Hawthorn Weightlifting Club.

Former Liberal strategist and RedBridge pollster Tony Barry said while the first impressions of some may be that addition to Kooyong of suburbs such as Malvern, Toorak and Armadale would favour the Liberals, this was largely because no teal candidate stood in Higgins at the last election.

“The considered view is many of those voters would welcome Monique Ryan with open arms,” Mr Barry said.

Some party sources expressed scepticism about the likelihood of Mr Frydenberg running. “This is the third time there’s been a flurry of publicity about Josh putting his hat in the ring, and each time he’s looked at the numbers and decided he wasn’t up for it,” said one Liberal.

Long-term Liberal strategist and adviser Kristy McSweeney said Ms Hamer had “done the right thing by the party” and waited for Mr Frydenberg to declare that he would not be nominating when she ran for preselection in March.

Ms McSweeney said while she was not accusing Mr Frydenberg or the Liberal Party of bullying Ms Hamer, there was the risk that this would be the perception among voters. “The female vote and the party’s perceived bullying of women is part of the reason why Monique Ryan won the seat in the first place,” Ms McSweeney said.

“It’s not a winning strategy for the party to be perceived to bully an impressive female candidate out of a job that she has been preselected for and is doing a good job at.

“Money is pouring in for ­Amelia. Her fundraising is doing very well.

“She’s working hard and people can see she’s got a very impressive CV.

“She’s had a significant corporate career already, she’s Oxford-educated, and people in that electorate are coming in behind her with support.”