Outgoing Liberal MP Karen Andrews says her party should do all that it can to attract former treasurer Josh Frydenberg back into parliament as he would be an “asset” to the Liberals.
Last week, the Australian Electoral Commission released a draft redrawing of electorate boundaries which would abolish the federal seat of Higgins and expand the seats nearby, which means 30,000 voters move into Kooyong – Frydenberg’s old seat that he lost to teal candidate Monique Ryan in a stunning 2022 election upset.
Karen Andrews.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Over the weekend, reports emerged that Frydenberg was mulling running again, as supporters of the former treasurer suggest 31-year-old Amelia Hamer, who was preselected for the seat, may need to give it up for Frydenberg.
Andrews refused to say if this would contribute to the Liberals’ issue with attracting women, arguing the party needed the best candidates to win the election.
“My view of Josh Frydenberg is that he would be an absolute asset to the team that we take forward to the next election,” Andrews told ABC Radio National this morning.
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“This is about making sure that we have the strongest possible candidates in each seat and we have the best team to take forward.”
Asked if Andrews sees Frydenberg as future leader and whether it would be destabilising for Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, she gave her support for Dutton but also conceded she sees Frydenberg as a future leader.
“[Frydenberg] obviously has that potential but the Liberal Party has a leader at the moment too … yes, he certainly has leadership capabilities but leadership is not just the leader of party – leadership also goes to the shadow cabinet,” she said.
“[Dutton] said some time ago that he would be welcoming of Josh Frydenberg coming back and I doubt that his position has changed.”
