Professor Monique Ryan confirmed as independent candidate for Kooyong in 2022 election

Monique Ryan decided to throw her hat into the election ring after seeing an ad seeking independent candidates.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg holds the seat of Kooyong after a 49.41 per cent primary vote in the 2019 election. Picture: Martin Ollman

Monique Ryan decided to throw her hat into the election ring after seeing a newspaper ad for independent candidates.

After about five people sent her the same ad, telling her to nominate, Professor Ryan, 58, wrote to community group the Kooyong Independents to express her interest in running in the blue-ribbon Liberal seat held by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

On Thursday, Professor Ryan was preparing an exit from her job as director of the neurology department at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Parkville, Melbourne, after the Hawthorn resident was confirmed as a candidate about two weeks ago.

Monique Ryan

“It’s (RCH) my dream job essentially but just in the last year or two – particularly the last two months – I’ve just been feeling I need to do something a bit more to ensure my children have the same opportunities I’ve had,” she said.

Professor Ryan is one of several independents taking on the Coalition in key seats at the 2022 federal election, which in Victoria includes former ABC journalist Zoe Daniel in Goldstein and former Mornington Peninsular mayor Despi O’Connor in Flinders.

Endorsed by local groups Voices of Kooyong and the Kooyong Independents, and funded by climate activist Simon Holmes a Court’s Climate 200 war chest, Professor Ryan said she went through a series of interviews before she was confirmed as candidate.

She said she had yet to develop an election platform but knew which areas she was interested in.

“Strong action on climate change, a strong federal (anti-corruption body), movement on gender equality, equity for women in the workplace and in the home, action on domestic violence, action on child and adolescent mental health, mental health and aged care,” she said.

Professor Ryan said she hoped the battle for Kooyong did not get personal but would prepare herself the best she could as a “political cleanskin” going against a “career politician”.

“I would expect, I guess, if Mr Frydenberg feels himself to be seriously threatened that it might get tough,” she said.

“I suppose in a way I’d almost be disappointed if he doesn’t feel threatened because that would mean that I’m not doing my job and my job is to provide a credible and reasonable alternative for the people of Kooyong.”

Professor Ryan has no background in politics and has spent her working life as a clinical doctor in hospitals and researching childhood diseases. She said her background in medicine would help her in the rough and tumble of an election.

“When you work in a public hospital you deal with some pretty difficult situations, you deal with some fairly challenging people,” she said.

“I’m not going to shy away from it if it does get a bit personal but I would hope that I don’t engage in that really.”

The Treasurer held Kooyong in 2019 with a 49.41 per cent primary vote despite a three-pronged attack by the Greens, Labor and independent Oliver Yates.