Georgina Downer’s destiny: Mayo bid set for launch

Georgina Downer — daughter of Alexander Downer — will today launch a bid to reclaim Mayo for the Liberal Party.

Georgina Downer, who now works as a lawyer and diplomat, is expected to return to Adelaide today to announce her candidacy for Mayo. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Georgina Downer — daughter of former foreign minister and member for Mayo, Alexander Downer — will return early from an ­election-observation delegation in East Timor today to launch a bid to reclaim the Adelaide Hills electorate for the Liberal Party.

After the resignation yesterday of MP Rebekha Sharkie over the dual-citizenship fiasco, a by-election is expected as early as next month.

In a telephone conference overnight, Liberal Party officials were expected to decide to hold an open and quick preselection for Mayo. Ms Downer will nominate and it is unknown whether there will be any other candidate.

The Australian revealed yesterday that Ms Downer was a certain starter for the preselection. She would be the fourth generation in her family to engage in federal politics. Born and raised in the electorate, Ms Downer now lives in ­Melbourne with her husband, Will Heath, and two children. However, she is well known and connected in the area as a frequent visitor with strong support among the branch membership.

It is understood Ms Downer held British citizenship by descent from her mother, Nicky, but ­officially renounced it last year.

Ms Sharkie is a former Liberal Party staffer who signed up with the now-defunct Nick Xenophon Team and unseated junior Liberal minister Jamie Briggs at the 2016 election after he had been forced to resign over a sexual harassment controversy.

A lawyer and former diplomat, Ms Downer is a research fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, ­office holder in the Victorian Liberal Party and is often seen as a political commentator on Sky News and the ABC. She has been in East Timor as part of an International Republican Institute delegation but decided to return to Australia upon news of Ms Sharkie’s resignation.

GRAPHIC: The Downer dynasty

As foreign minister, her father was instrumental in the liberation of East Timor and its establishment as an independent nation.

Ms Downer’s great-grandfather, Sir John, was a South Australian premier, senator and key figure in Federation. His son, Sir Alexander, was a former Japanese prisoner of war who represented the Adelaide Hills area in the federal parliament, in an electorate then named Angas, for 15 years. “Alick” was immigration minister in the Menzies government and went on to serve as high commissioner in London. His son, Alexander, held the seat of Mayo (covering a similar region to Angas) from 1984 till 2008 and was Australia’s longest-serving foreign minister. Coincidentally, Mr Downer returned to Adelaide from his posting as high commissioner to London just last week.

Mr Downer has been actively discussing his daughter’s candidature for Mayo with party operatives including state president and former premier John Olsen. The Mayo federal electorate committee recently intervened to thwart attempts by Ms Sharkie, a former Liberal staffer, to rejoin the party and seek its endorsement to stay on in the seat.

Now Ms Downer is likely to be given the task to reclaim the seat for the Liberal Party. Her name recognition in the electorate will be strong and she will have active support from a wide network of party supporters.

Citizenship crisis who’s who

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But not all Mayo residents were craving another Downer in the seat yesterday.

Maddy Hosking, who lives in Bridgewater and voted Greens at the 2016 election, rated Ms Sharkie’s performance as “in between” but said Ms Downer’s standing as a Liberal candidate would have no impact on how she voted. “The Downer name doesn’t do anything for me,” she said. “It might for other people because there are a lot of older, conservative voters in Stirling, for example.

“I think policies that have a strong local aspect will bring benefits — jobs, construction, tourism — to the communities we have within Mayo. Some regional communities are struggling with jobs, so that’s important.”

Mr Downer would not comment on his daughter’s candidacy, saying only that “historically, the seat of Mayo has played a key role in an Australian Liberal government and I hope it can again in the near future”.

Additional reporting: Luke Griffiths.

Chris Kenny served as chief of staff to Alexander Downer as foreign minister.