The Liberal Party has been too slow to adapt to our contemporary society

The morning of Tuesday, November 18, at Victoria’s Parliament House revived the words of Desmond Tutu: “Hope is being able to see light despite all the darkness.”

The unanimous election of Jess Wilson to become the first female leader of the state Liberal parliamentary party and opposition leader, has provided all Victorians with that light, to see a secure future for our state.

This is generational change.

Jess Wilson was born in 1990, the year I was elected to the House of Representatives in our federal parliament, becoming the first Liberal woman to be elected to the House in a Victorian seat.

I applaud the Liberal Party for their decision to elect Wilson because in doing so, they have provided all Victorians with a beacon of hope. Hope for a fair, tolerant and secure future for all of us who reside in this state. Hope for restoring faith in our political institution that is meant to govern for all of us, not just sections of our community or for groups who yell the loudest.

This change by the Liberal Party is long overdue. It demonstrates to all Victorians that the state Liberal Party has finally put aside its propensity for making itself an issue and has accepted the challenge to adapt and be prepared to recognise that among its ranks there is a young woman, a mother, who possesses the skills needed to tackle the ever-increasing long list of problems that define Victoria today.

The party has been prepared to recognise that within their ranks, they have a young woman with the appropriate and contemporary skills to tackle the enormity of the task to restore Victoria economically and socially. She is someone who has already demonstrated an ability to work collaboratively with her parliamentary colleagues and has a wealth of experience in the wider business community.

Wilson grew up in a political family, no doubt following her father, Ron, who was the Liberal member for Bennettswood from 1999 to 2002, around his electorate and learning first hand that you can’t hope to be an effective representative unless you know your constituency and what concerns them. With a father like Ron Wilson, this drive to understand people’s views and needs, and, importantly, to follow up and actually take action is in her DNA.

I know personally that Jess Wilson follows these principles because I first met her standing in a shopping centre in her electorate chatting to people of all ages and nationalities. She firmly believes in earning the trust of the people she represents.

Wilson understands the enormity of the task and responsibility of the job she has accepted. She understands that, in becoming the elected leader of the Liberal Party of this once great state, she will have to earn the trust of her fellow Victorians from all walks of life. She will have to convince them that if we are to have any chance of a secure future and a safe and tolerant society, we will need to change.

Our society has changed and adapted over the past decades into the contemporary society of today, one in which 31 per cent of all Australians were born overseas. There are many responsibilities our government must consider with care such as the increasing number of people who now work from home, social issues of housing insecurity, the cost of energy, gender diversity, rising rates of homelessness (especially among older, single women) and both the challenges and opportunities of the emerging, fast-changing world of artificial intelligence.

Wilson will play a vital role in managing a world that is vastly different to the one her parents brought her into. Adapting to change can often be difficult and challenging, especially recognising emerging opportunities and managing these new challenges, as they arise. The Liberal Party has been too slow to respond to the challenges of our contemporary society. Now, here in Victoria, we have made an important step by accepting the reality of change and electing a well-qualified Millennial in Jess Wilson.

This decision sends a very clear message to the community – the Liberal Party in Victoria understands that change is evolutionary and is responding to that change positively and responsibly.

It also sends a clear message that we have in our new leader someone who understands how to attract investment, understands the importance of harnessing the climate change transition by creating new opportunities for business, and, importantly, embracing our entrepreneurial spirit to achieve this change.

As well, this change of leadership has the potential to attract more well-educated, young people into participating in our parliamentary process.

Wilson has the opportunity to demonstrate that the principles and values of the Liberal Party are as relevant today as a bedrock of our society as they have been in past generations, underpinning the development of our nation. The values of individual freedom, choice, diversity, tolerance and compassion will always provide incentives to achieve and triumph over racism, violence and bigotry.

Wilson understands that our Victorian economy is on life-support measures caused by the ever-increasing debt, currently approaching $200 billion and growing, racked up by the Labor government. This is why Victoria is going backwards and why so many Victorians are struggling to make ends meet. She understands that in order to become fiscally responsible and be able to provide and pay for future essential services, the Victorian government must start to repay that massive debt. Only then can we, once again, be a productive state capable of servicing that debt.

It will be a daunting task to confront this miasma of debt in our state economy, but Wilson is up for that challenge. All Victorians need her skills to break through the economic darkness that envelopes our state.

Wilson has demonstrated that her way is to methodically and fairly consult, with respect, before making an assessment or decision. With this change of style, she will restore integrity to government, a subject she passionately believes in. She spoke of the importance of integrity of the parliament in her maiden speech. It is vital that we are governed with consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values.

Jess Wilson and your team, we are counting on you to deliver a secure future for all of us.

Fran Bailey is a member of the Liberal Party and a former minister in the Howard government who served in the House of Representatives in federal parliament from 1990 to 1993 and 1996 to 2010, representing the Division of McEwen in Victoria.

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