Toowoomba federal MP for Groom Garth Hamilton invites Liberal leader Sussan Ley to host shadow cabinet on Darling Downs

Toowoomba’s federal MP Garth Hamilton has extended an offer to his new leader Sussan Ley to visit the city, as the Liberal Party attempts to rebuild from its disastrous election result.

New opposition leader Sussan Ley is reportedly open to bringing her shadow cabinet to Toowoomba, as federal MP Garth Hamilton courts a potential portfolio position within the Coalition.

Ms Ley, who is the first woman to lead the Liberal Party in its 80-year history, will start forming her frontbench after defeating Angus Taylor 29-25 in a party room vote on Tuesday.

Her goal will be to try and form a credible opposition to Labor, following the ALP’s historic landslide victory at the May 3 election that saw the Coalition sink to its worst result since the 1940s.

Mr Hamilton, who was returned to the now-marginal seat of Groom following a well-funded challenge by independent Suzie Holt, welcomed Ms Ley’s ascension despite acknowledging he voted for Mr Taylor.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, NewsWire Photos. MAY 13, 2025: Parliament House in Canberra. The federal parliamentary Liberal Party will meet to elect a Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Garth Hamilton arrives at Parliament House. Picture: NewsWire / David Beach

“I congratulate Sussan on making history as the first woman to lead the federal Liberals and thank her for stepping up to guide our party forward,” he said.

“What’s encouraging is right from the start she’s identified the need to rebuild (and) a lot of people locally want to see us rebuild.”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Hamilton said he’d invited Ms Ley to come to Toowoomba to host a regional shadow cabinet meeting, which could kickstart what he believed was a long-overdue debate around the party’s policy platform and direction.

He wouldn’t disclose whether planned to ask Ms Ley about frontbench roles, but told News Corp prior to the party room vote he had interests in energy, housing and social services.

“(I’ve got a) great relationship (with Ms Ley), she was the first person to come up here in the last term of parliament,” Mr Hamilton said.

“I’ve invited her to hold the first regional cabinet in Toowoomba, I want us included on that.

“The important part of that is to facilitate and its incumbent upon us to engage in that discussion.

“That’s the responsibility of every local member and I think we should get into that as early as possible.”

Ms Ley comes to the leadership with a history of scandals and missteps, notably in 2017 when she was caught purchasing property on the Gold Coast while in the region on official government business as a minister.

Mr Hamilton acknowledged Ms Ley’s past, but believed they wouldn’t matter if the Coalition could make the right case to the Australian people.

“Politics is about tomorrow, and what you’re going to do to and for people — if we’re clear about that, that is what people will focus on,” he said.

Hamilton brushes off LNP senator’s Groom slight

Senator James McGrath. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Groom MP Garth Hamilton has declined to respond to comments made by Queensland Senator James McGrath after the latter appeared to call out the LNP’s recent electoral performances in Groom.

Senator McGrath, who was born and raised in Toowoomba, penned an open letter on Tuesday where he called for a commission to be established to examine the Liberal Party’s future following this month’s “catastrophic” election loss.

“So that there is not a third election loss we need to have a serious considered look at how the Liberal Party does politics,” he wrote.

Senator McGrath then also pointed to Mr Hamilton’s primary vote of 41 per cent in Groom, which is likely to remain a marginal seat following a one-point swing against the LNP to 5.8 per cent.

“Groom on the Darling Downs, which was once the safest Liberal seat in Queensland, now has a primary vote of 41 per cent, down from 61 per cent in 2010,” he wrote.

Mr Hamilton declined to comment on the senator’s letter, other than to point out what was currently his goal following the election.

“I’m here to rebuild the party and that’s my entire focus,” he said.

Mr Hamilton told News Corp last week he believed the LNP faired better in Groom than in other parts of Queensland, given the disastrous end result of the Coalition’s national campaign.

“We’ve held up far better than others in what has been a very difficult campaign for the Liberal Party,” he said.

Coalition leadership’s connections to Toowoomba revealed

Australia's Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley speaks at a press conference with Deputy Leader of the Opposition Ted O'Brien. (Photo by Saeed Khan / AFP)

Three-quarters of the Coalition’s federal leadership have strong ties to Toowoomba, with new opposition leader Sussan Ley even attending her schooling here.

Ms Ley, who was born in Nigeria to British parents, was briefly a student at Toowoomba State High School when her family bought a hobby farm outside the city back in 1970s.

After they quickly sold the property due to collapsing beef prices, she completed her schooling in Canberra.

Ms Ley’s deputy Ted O’Brien has even stronger connections to Toowoomba, given he belongs to the O’Brien family that founded the Defiance Flour Mill on Ruthven Street back in 1898.

“They named the company ‘Defiance’ to signify a determination to take on the mainly international companies then dominating the industry,” Mr O’Brien said in his maiden speech to parliament in 2016.

“My first job was as a trainee baker with Defiance — I started at an age where I still needed to stand on a chair so I could reach the workbench.”

Mr O’Brien was contacted for comment about his memories of Toowoomba.

Leader of The Nationals, David Littleproud. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Nationals leader David Littleproud also has strong ties to the Garden City, having completed his high school career at Toowoomba Grammar School before pursuing a career in agribusiness prior to his entry into politics.