New NSW Liberal leader Kellie Sloane expected to go after Premier Chris Minns with slick PR campaign

NSW Liberal MPs chose former television journalist Kellie Sloane as their leader Friday morning, a switch expected to be followed by a slick public relations campaign designed to undermine Premier Chris Minns’ nice-guy reputation.

Liberal Party sources said Ms Sloane — who has never held ministerial rank — would use her three decades of media experience to draw attention to the opposition and portray Mr Minns as an overly cautious leader afraid to get interest groups off side.

A short meeting of Liberal MPs Friday morning endorsed the 52-year-old as leader after less than three years in parliament — an easy decision given no one else stood for the position. Predecessor Mark Speakman resigned on Thursday after being told he had lost his colleagues’ support.

“There’s tremendous value in having a leader who hasn’t been a politician for an incredibly long time,” Liberal energy spokesman James Griffin told The Nightly. “They bring an outsiders’ perspective into parliament and politics that a lot of people will appreciate.”

While Mr Speakman, a barrister with an intellectual streak, concentrated on developing policy proposals, Ms Sloane is expected to focus on a PR operation targeted at gaining newspaper and television coverage.

Net zero conflict

One challenge will be reconciling the state party’s support for eliminating Greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 with the federal Liberals’ decision last week to end its support for what is known as the net zero policy.

As the member for Vaucluse, an electorate within the federal “teal” seat of Wentworth, Ms Sloane may chose to distance herself from federal counterpart Sussan Ley, who is open to support extending the life of coal-fired power stations, which contribute to global warming.

“You try selling the Liberal Party at the moment with that shit show in Canberra,” one former state Liberal minister said Friday morning.

A lifestyle journalist who worked at Seven, Nine, Ten and the ABC, Ms Sloane is seen as one of the most telegenic politicians in NSW, either male or female. Her husband, Adam Connolly, is a former political reporter for the state’s biggest newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, and now a public relations consultant close to the property industry.

In her previous role as the Coalition’s health spokesperson, Ms Sloane has campaigned against illegal tobacco sales. Three months ago she introduced a law that would have imposed $1.5 million fines or seven years in jail for selling illicit cigarettes.

The bill did not become law. Instead, the government introduced new powers from November 3 that allow health inspectors to shut down tobacco stores for 90 days, which have been used 24 times, according to the Health Department.

While pursuing the government over its perceived timidity, Ms Sloane pledged to Liberal MPs on Friday that she would be a collaborative and inclusive leader. The party has been beset by factional pressures that undermined Mr Speakman’s leadership.

“I’m ready to work for New South Wales, and I thank my colleagues for the faith and the trust that they’ve placed in me today,” she said after the meeting.

She promised to hold a press conference later on Friday, when she will be asked to outline her plans as leader.