Tim Wilson has won the Victorian seat of Goldstein from independent Zoe Daniel, giving some much needed good news to the Liberal party.
Now there’s speculation that he could be the party’s next leader.
Daniel has claimed victory in the seat, and most political analysts predicted she’d be returned to parliament but as postal votes flowed in the balance tipped in Wilson’s favour returning him to the seat he previously held for two terms.
Yesterday in front of supporters Wilson delivered his victory speech saying it was deeply emotional for him and he felt humbled to be able to represent the people of Goldstein again.
“Three years ago, people said that Goldstein could not be won, I was written off, the Liberal Party was written off.
“I am very proud — genuinely very proud — to say that we are pleased to accept that we have won the seat of Goldstein back,” he said.
Wilson said he did not want to comment on the Liberal leadership contest, but there has been suggestions he could be a late contender for the position now that its know he is returning to Canberra.
Zoe Daniel has not conceded defeat, saying she prefers to wait until all the votes are counted.
Wilson first came to public prominence as a staffer at the Institute of Public Affairs. He later joined the Human Rights Commission where he was dubbed ‘The Freedom Commissioner’, his appointment to the body was a surprise as he’d spent years advocating for the commission to be abolished.
In 2016 he was first elected to parliament representing the seat of Goldstein in Melbourne. He was returned in 2019, but lost to Daniel in 2021.
As a member of the Morrison government Wilson served as the chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics. In 2021 he was promoted to be an assistant minister to Angus Taylor responsible for the areas of energy, industry, and emissions reduction.
Wilson has voiced his commitment to the Liberal party’s plans to introduce nuclear energy to Australia if they are returned to government. During the campaign for marriage equality Wilson was part of the YES campaign and later proposed to his husband Ryan Bolger during a parliamentary speech.
Political journalist Latika M Bourke has written in The Nightly that Wilson could resurrect the defeated Liberal party, describing his as a “Teal-slayer”.
Bourke argues that Wilson has shown how the Liberals can win back affluent city-based seats that the party has been losing to a wave of independents. She says Wilson’s success in Goldstein shows he has the “courage, determination and persistence” that the next party leader will need.
