Today, I am announcing my candidacy for the leadership of the Liberal Party.

This is not a decision I’ve taken lightly but it is one I’ve taken with conviction following discussions with many of my colleagues this week.

Our party is at a crossroads. After the result on Saturday, we owe it to our members, our supporters, and the millions of Australians who believe in our cause to regroup, rebuild, and get back in the fight.

We must unify our party, rebuild its foundations and take up the fight to Labor.

We must restore the Party around the values that make us strong:

• sound economic management and personal responsibility;

• national security;

• aspiration and reward for effort; and

• a vibrant private sector that creates jobs and opportunity.

These values are the bedrock of Australia’s prosperity and the Liberal Party’s success.

But this is not just about values. It’s about delivering results and that starts with deep renewal.

We need policies that speak to Australians across all walks of life.

We need real ideas that match the scale of the challenges we face. From housing and energy to the cost-of-living and national defence.

We need to show the country that we’re serious about aspiration, opportunity, and backing Australians to get ahead.

But policy isn’t enough. We also need to rebuild the Party itself.

We must bring in new talent that reflects modern Australia – especially more women.

We must operate like a campaign every day – with strong candidates, clearer messages, smarter strategies, and greater fundraising.

We need to modernise our organisation from the ground up and back our volunteers and members who give so much to our cause.

None of this will be easy. Reform never is. But the road to government begins with doing the hard things now, not later.

I will provide leadership that unites our party, that puts our cause above sectional interests and that reaches beyond our base and earns the trust of the voters that we’ve lost.

I’ve always shown up when it matters most. 

In my career, I’ve helped rebuild organisations and created successful businesses in the private sector.

In government, I worked to unite our Coalition behind energy and climate policies, securing the future of Australia's medical manufacturing capability and delivering jobs, opportunities and homes in our cities including western Sydney.  

In opposition, I’ve been on the front line of economic debates, been prepared to do the tough interviews and to be a flag bearer for the team.

I know what it takes to lead a team, to craft a message, and to deliver real outcomes.

This moment demands experience. It also demands energy, humility, and a clear plan for the future.

We must offer Australians something more than opposition.

And that means being ready – not just to hold Labor to account, but to show that we’re fit to govern again.

We live in the best country in the world but for too many Australians right now, it doesn’t feel that way. They’re doing it tough. They’re uncertain. They want a government that understands them.

We must become that alternative.

This is about the future of the Liberal Party.

It’s about the people who vote for us, volunteer for us, and rely on us.

And it’s about the Australians who want to believe in us again.

I’m standing for leader because I bring the skills, experience and qualities required to bring our team together, to regroup, rebuild, and get back in the fight.

ENDS.