Hanson must moderate confrontational style, says Gallagher - Sydney Morning Herald

Chief Minister Katy Gallagher congratulated Jeremy Hanson on being elected Canberra Liberals leader. Photo: Rohan Thomson

Jeremy Hanson will be forced to moderate his confrontational parliamentary style as the new Opposition Leader, Chief Minister Katy Gallagher says.

And the Chief Minister says Mr Hanson’s first test in the Opposition leadership will come if outgoing leader Zed Seselja wins the Liberals preselection to represent the ACT in the Senate.

Ms Gallagher congratulated Mr Hanson and new Deputy Leader Alistair Coe on their election to the Opposition’s leadership team in Monday’s party room ballot.

“I think the job now for those two is to stop all the fighting that’s going on amongst the Liberals and get on with what they’ve been elected to do which is represent the people of Canberra,” she said.

“I think probably the best advice for Jeremy that I can give him is that he’s going to need to temper some of his behaviour.

“He’s been the bully boy of the Liberal Party.

“That’s the role he’s played in the Assembly, it’s a role he’s played outside of the Assembly and I think perhaps now he’s leader he will have to change that style, certainly if he wants to deal with me.”

Ms Gallagher said the Brindabella electorate had been let down by Monday’s ballot, with neither of the new leadership team hailing from the southern electorate.

Mr Seselja and outgoing deputy leader Brendan Smyth were both elected by Brindabella voters who delivered the party its biggest swings at the October territory election.

“It’s very clear that the commitments to Tuggeranong have been left out in this leadership change,” Ms Gallagher said.

“Very much in the campaign, that’s where the Liberals focus was, that’s where they got their strongest vote, they had the leader and deputy down there.

“In some ways, Zed’s leading the Assembly has on one hand abandoned that commitment but today’s decision has meant they have moved both of their leaders out of the electorate that rewarded them with the highest vote that they’d ever got.”

Mr Hanson said on Monday he planned to keep Mr Seselja on the Opposition front bench, at least in the short term.

But Ms Gallagher said Mr Hanson should not “be expecting too much” from the outgoing leader because he had already “vacated the building” in spirit.

"I think he’s going to be very busy shoring up the numbers for his Senate preselection or, if not shoring up the numbers, shoring up the process that he’s put in place so that it remains on track,” she said.

“I don’t imagine he’s going to be doing much front bench work.

“I think the real pressure comes and the real first test of Mr Hanson’s leadership will be on what terms Mr Seselja departs the Assembly and when he does that.”