New Liberal leader speaks out on NSW party’s future
Phoebe Loomes |
The NSW Liberals need to modernise by reaching out to women, young people and culturally diverse communities, its new parliamentary leader says.
The party room elevated barrister and moderate Mark Speakman on Friday, nearly a month after the Liberals’ heavy state election defeat to Labor.
The 63-year-old Cambridge-educated Cronulla MP said the party needed to maintain its core principles while modernising its approach to create broader appeal.
“The Liberal Party federally and in NSW has had a number of setbacks in the past 18 months but we remain a party with timeless values,” the former coalition government attorney-general said.
“We certainly have to reach out to women reach out to young people reach out to culturally diverse people and if that’s modernising then we have to modernise, but at the end of the day, our basic principles are sound.
“My style as attorney-general has been to be constructive, collaborative, but ultimately activist, and that will be my approach in opposition.”
Mr Speakman’s main challenger for the leadership was right faction MP Anthony Roberts but he was a clear winner with 22 votes to 13.
He ran on a unity ticket with two upper house MPs, conservative Damien Tudehope and moderate Natalie Ward. Mr Tudehope was elected as leader of the upper house and Ms Ward as his deputy.
The party has deferred choosing a deputy leader until May 8, as it considers changing internal party rules to allow upper house MPs to contest the position.
This would open the door for Ms Ward, a former roads and women’s safety minister who has been internally touted as a future Liberal leader, to run for the deputy leader spot.
Mr Speakman and Mr Tudehope said they would back Ms Ward if the rule can be changed.
Conservative western Sydney MP Tanya Davies had been tipped to run for the deputy leadership on a platform of recapturing suburban Sydney seats lost to Labor. North Shore MP Felicity Wilson had also been expected to nominate for the position.
Mr Speakman said he did not intend to be combative in the opposition benches, saying he was willing to work with the government where possible.
“But we will also hold the government to account – that’s our job,” he said.
Premier Chris Minns has said he has a shared responsibility to work with the new opposition leader and guide policy decisions to improve the state.
Newly-elected party whips Chris Rath and Adam Crouch said the party had rallied behind their new leader.
“I’m pleased with these results. It was a very strong result for Mr Speakman,” Mr Crouch said.
The new Liberal leader wouldn’t rule out working with controversial One Nation MP Mark Latham, who has been politically isolated by Labor after he posted a homophobic tweet directed at Independent MP Alex Greenwich last month.
The slurs were condemned by Mr Speakman, who called on Mr Latham to apologise before saying he intended to work with all parties.
“Mark Latham’s comments were reprehensible. They were disgraceful and they were unworthy of a Member of Parliament,” he said.
Mr Speakman said he expected to name his full shadow cabinet before the parliament resumed on May 9.
After the vote, former premier Dominic Perrottet rushed through the parliament with a smile, telling reporters, “this is awkward”.
Earlier this month, junior coalition partner the NSW Nationals re-elected leader Paul Toole and deputy Bronnie Taylor during their own party room meeting.
AAP
