‘Ready to fight’: first-term MP rises to leadership

THE Liberal party’s latest leader has thrown down the gauntlet, vowing to fight with her ailing party as a crucial election looms.

First-term MP Kellie Sloane completed her meteoric ascent to the top of the NSW Liberals on Friday after her predecessor Mark Speakman gave way to mounting pressure and resigned.

With just 18 months to try turn around the party’s poor polling before the state election, she said she was ready to get to work.

“I don’t underestimate the challenge ahead of us,” Ms Sloane told reporters on Friday.

“I am ready for the fight.”

Housing, infrastructure and transport are emerging as policy priorities as Ms Sloane promised to help families and young Australians.

But she faces a significant uphill battle.

No first-term opposition has won an election in NSW or federally since the 1930s while recent polls suggest the coalition would lose more seats to Labor if an election was held today.

“They are in a pretty dire spot at the moment,” election analyst Ben Raue told AAP.

“It’s a very easy mechanical change to make, to sack someone and replace them with someone else, but unless that is the specific reason why you’re unpopular, it’s not going to change anything.”

Though Premier Chris Minns acknowledged he was in competition with Ms Sloane, he stressed their parties had a responsibility to work together.

He also refused to rest on his laurels as the NSW Liberal Party had historically been a “formidable force”.

“Pretty much every election in New South Wales has been close – this one will be close too,” he told reporters.

“The last thing I want voters to think is that we’re counting our chickens, because that’s the shortest distance between us losing the next election and where we are today.”

But the greatest danger to the NSW Liberals, could come from within.

The chaotic aftermath of the federal party’s election wipe-out did serious “brand damage” to the Liberal’s state brands, Mr Speakman said at his resignation.

While Ms Sloane said she was not blind to the issue, she backed Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and repeatedly emphasised the “unity” of the state branch.

“I’m not going to stand here and pretend that some of the dysfunction that we’ve seen over time federally won’t impact us at state level,” she said.

“But I believe in Sussan Ley as our leader.”

Ahead of the party room meeting, Ms Ley lauded the new leader as an “outstanding young woman”.

Ms Sloane, a mother of three, enjoyed a decades-long career as a journalist and news presenter before teaming up with Healthy Harold to lead not-for-profit Life Education NSW.

Beaten in pre-selection for former premier Gladys Berejiklian’s Willoughby seat in 2022, Ms Sloane was comfortably elected as MP for the eastern Sydney electorate of Vaucluse at the 2023 state election and rapidly appointed to the opposition frontbench under Mr Speakman.

As late as Thursday morning, Mr Speakman was determined to hold onto his crown, launching a media blitz where he downplayed speculation of a spill.

But when Ms Sloane – a friend and moderate faction colleague – declared her intention to lead, he agreed to step away.

Shadow Attorney-General Alister Henskens had considered challenging for the leadership but pulled out before the meeting.

Ms Sloane, 52, became the second woman this week to have deposed a male state Liberal leader after Victoria’s coalition opposition dumped Brad Battin in favour of first-term MP Jess Wilson.

Female representation has been a recurring issue for the Liberal Party over concerns the coalition is bleeding votes from women.

Standing with her deputy Natalie Ward, Ms Sloane said she hoped to inspire more women to enter politics.

Ms Sloane will steer the coalition with new Nationals leader Gurmesh Singh, who was elected unopposed last Tuesday after Dugald Saunders’ shock resignation.

The next NSW election will be in March 2027.

By Kat WONG and Alex MITCHELL, AAP