The Liberal Party in the Australian Capital Territory has a new leader. Mark Parton has stepped into the role after previous leader Leanne Castley and her deputy Jeremy Hanson stepped down from their leadership roles on Monday.
Deborah Morris was elected alongside Parton to the Deputy position.
Parton has been a member of parliament since 2016 and for the last year has served as speaker.
Speaking to the media on Monday Parton said he was tired of internal party disputes filling the headlines.
“I can tell you people out in the suburbs are not having those conversations,” he said. “And so I am here, along with Deborah Morris, to get nine parliamentary members on the same train, heading forward, so that we can take on the government in 2028.”
The new leader said in recent months his party had been divided along ideological lines and it was time for them to come together, describing himself as a unifying force.
The Labor government is currently enjoying its seventh consecutive term in the ACT. The Liberals last held government in 2001.
Parton is a popular politician in the ACT enjoying the second highest level of primary vote in the jurisdiction, second only to Chief Minister Andrew Barr. Prior to entering politics he worked in talkback radio.
The MP made headlines in 2020 when he apologised for describing a Greens candidate as being “too camp”.
Parton said Jonathan Davis was “too camp for Tuggeranong”. After he made the comment the Greens’ candidate’s social media pages were flooded with homophobic comments. Parton apologised for the remark.
Davis went on to win the seat but resigned from parliament in 2023 amid accusations that he allegedly engaged in inappropriate conduct that is of a sexual nature. Davis was never charged with any offences.
