12 months out from election, New South Wales Liberals vote in new leader

Kellie Sloane, the state Liberal member for Vaucluse, has been elected unopposed as the leader of the New South Wales Liberal party following the resignation of opposition leader Mark Speakman on Thursday afternoon.

Speakman served as the leader of the NSW Liberals in opposition from April 2023. 

⁉️ What happened: As the resignation of Speakman loomed, there were two main challengers for the leadership: Kellie Sloane and member for Wahroonga Alister Henskens. 

Henskens backed away from leadership on Thursday evening and has since spoken in support of Sloane. 

👤 New faces all around: The news follows leadership spills in the Liberal and National party across the country, with the NSW Nationals and Victorian Liberals also adopting new leaders this week.

A past in the north: When former Premier Gladys Berejiklian resigned from Parliament in 2021, Sloane sought preselection for her seat of Willoughby. The seat was ultimately won by Tim James.

🗣️ Predecessors endorsement: “She believes that the interests of the party would be best served if she took the reins”, Mark Speakman stated on Thursday. 

“I have reluctantly agreed”.