NSW Liberal leadership as it happened: Kellie Sloane to lead party after Mark Speakman steps down

This is where we’ll end our live coverage from Macquarie Street, as Kellie Sloane settles into her new role as opposition leader.

Sloane used her first press conference to establish herself as an energetic leader, but didn’t make any policy or shadow cabinet announcements. Here’s everything you need to know.

• Sloane said she had a tough but friendly conversation with Mark Speakman yesterday and told him it was time for change.
• She was installed as leader unopposed at a party room meeting this morning.
• Natalie Ward remains deputy leader, making the duo likely the first all female leadership team in the party’s history.
• Sloane declared she was pro-housing, that families would be at the heart of Liberal policies, and vowed to take the fight to Labor on cost of living.

NSW Liberal leader Kellie Sloane has declared her party’s commitment to net zero by 2050 remains unwavering but wants to “stop talking about those two words”.

Sloane said the Coalition’s priority must be “energy reliability and affordability” ahead of negotiations with Nationals leader Gurmesh Singh, who was promoted into the top job on Tuesday.

“We have had a consistent position on net zero since 2016 as a coalition, I believe we can work through the nuts and bolts of policies that will drive practical outcomes,” she said.

“I’d like to stop talking about those two words and be focused on the here and now and the pain for families in NSW.”

The state was facing an “energy shortfall” and consequently needed to be agnostic about addressing the reliability challenge, including more gas, Sloane said.

“Energy prices have gone up by about 40 per cent. We need to address those concerns for NSW families. We need to provide an equitable rollout of renewable... we need to keep the lights on.”

Kellie Sloane may need to spend more time in Parramatta if she wants to win back voters in the significant seat, with many uncertain of who the new NSW Liberal leader is.

When asked about Sloane 19-year-old Siobhan Butcher said she had “never heard of her” and will typically vote for whoever her parents support, but is glad a woman has won the leadership position.

“I want to have more women in politics… not just old, stuffy men,” she said.

A Labor supporter, Leone Davis said she wouldn’t vote for the NSW Liberals regardless of who is in charge, but she did share her surprise at Mark Speakman’s resignation who she believes is considered by many to be “a nice guy”.

Chintan Dave would be open to voting for the Sloane-led Coalition at the next state election if he could find out more about her: “I’d look at her policies and then decide”.

The Coalition lost the seat of Parramatta in 2023.

There was one word that Kellie Sloane used in her first press conference more than housing, energy or infrastructure – families.

The new Liberal leader didn’t make any policy announcements nor announce any changes to shadow cabinet, but made one promise:

“Families will be at the heart of everything we do,” Sloane said. “No matter what your family looks like or where you live, families must be at the heart and the Liberal Party has always understood that strong families mean we have a strong state.”

Deputy leader Natalie Ward said Sloane would be an inclusive and down-to-earth leader “when it comes to understanding families and kids and the challenges we all face”.

Sloane says she’ll have a consultative leadership style and promised to bring energy to the role.

“I love people, I can’t wait to get out and meet the people of NSW and I’m looking forward to hearing what they think,” she said.

In her answers to questions on her policy ambitions, Sloane has repeatedly mentioned cost of living, housing and western Sydney.

On housing, she said she supports the train station at Woollahra (in her own electorate) and is “pro-housing” but is critical of “sloppy planning”.

“I think people are willing to accept housing anywhere, provided that it’s done well, and my concern is that Labor is drawing circles on maps and they’re building blocks,” she said.

“We need to build homes and we need to build communities.”

Kellie Sloane is speaking to the media in her first press conference after being elected NSW Liberal leader.

Sloane is expected to arrive at 11:30. Watch live below.

Back with Premier Chris Minns now, who waved away a question on Sloane previously saying that her party shouldn’t “work closely with Mark Latham at all”.

The premier was adamant that it “wasn’t the time to trade political barbs” and struck a conciliatory note at a press conference this morning.

“I think the truth of the matter is we’ve both got a responsibility to work together, if we can. There’s got to be some common ground between the political parties. There’s plenty of time for us to trade political barbs in the future,” he said.

“It doesn’t have to be relentlessly negative. Politics doesn’t have to be about fighting each other. If there are things that the two of us can work on to make NSW better. I am up for it, and I hope Kellie is.”