Federal Government
IS SHE THE ONE? Federal Liberals in the wilderness prepare to find their way home with Kelly O’Dwyer
Kelly O’Dwyer is something special. That’s what her backers loudly say. It’s almost weird how intense they are about it too.
She’s not well-known outside political circles and political folk can be inclined to gild the lily but there is no doubting the pulsating enthusiasm for the newly endorsed Liberal candidate for Higgins.
One of her factional rivals told VEXNEWS a few weeks back that he “didn’t get it” and was inclined to attribute the strong support of the older blokes and young bucks in the Kroger/Costello faction to some sort of sexual magnetism.
That sounds a bit sexist to us but it’s certainly interesting to observe the phenomenon of the Victorian division of the Liberal party looking for ‘the One’: the next of them who could credibly claim the party leadership.
Their hopes and dreams lived in the remarkable talent of Peter Costello for so long. As his heart was broken by the betrayal of a wily political leader from Sydney, Costello’s withdrawal from the caper nearly caused a permanent fracturing among his supporters, as Michael Ronaldson leapt on the Malcolm Turnbull bandwagon while Costello supported Brendan Nelson, now the Rudd Government’s Ambassador to the European Union, the World Health Organisation, Brussels, Luxembourg and some other places of which we’ve probably never heard.
While the Kroger brigades are a little ambivalent of the two new quality candidates put up in Wannon and Kooyong, there is no ambivalence about Kelly O’Dwyer. They love her to bits.
If she can inspire that much support among the most hard-headed and patriotic grouping in Victorian Liberal politics, there’s probably not going to be much that can or will hold her back.
Looking at the Liberal parliamentary ranks and considering how they’re travelling at the moment, it’s not quite as silly as it sounds to ponder her leadership credentials. Turnbull increasingly appears to be ‘cactus’. We like Andrew Robb but we accept that he probably terrifies small children. Julie Bishop looks the part but it remains a constant source of amazement to us that a political dumb-ass of such a profoundly bad kind.
“She could be ‘The One,’” a hopeful Kroger backer told us this afternoon. With the Coalition at breaking point over the ETS and other issues, some very bad luck courtesy of a nutter Treasury official who conned Malcolm Turnbull, a government riding high run by a very, very shrewd man, the Liberals need all the good news they can get.
And tonight it seems they took a step in the right direction. And maybe, just maybe, found the next Liberal Prime Minister of Australia.
Discussion
39 comments for “IS SHE THE ONE? Federal Liberals in the wilderness prepare to find their way home with Kelly O’Dwyer”
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Hot.
Just a clarification, Peter Costello was the baseline w.r.t my previous comment.
She is going into Federal politics but has she done any military service? Under the Commonwealth Constitution, Defence, External Affairs and Trade (external and across state border) is the Commonwealth Government main charter. I think all federal MP’s should have done some ADF service prior to nominating for pre-selection, be they Lib, ALP, Green, Independent or what ever. Can anyone confirm if she has ever got her hand’s dirty in a fighting pit.
O dear.
Adrian Jackson will note his local federal MP Michael Danby served in the Army Reserve for several years. Perhaps he could bring himself to vote for a Jew after all.
That true Danby did officer training but never served in a unit after gratuating as I understand it. I further understand he decided to do some training here (not in Israel) learning how to shoot a rifle after he during a period on a kibbutz his group of unpaid volunteer labour got shot at. That is what I have heard on the grapevine.
Danby certainly wouldn’t want the vote of a moronic anti-Semitic grub like Jackson.
thumping victory to kelly
Why do you people use non names like Port person? Anyhow its not anti Semitic to be anti Fascism in Israel
Could Danby please shoot Adrian Jackson?
ah corporal jackson – you’d think this hero of the catering corps had fought in the battle of britain, been on the kokoda track, seen action at long tan or whatever. don’t think so
Honeys,
This candidate has less chance of becoming PM than her boss and numbers man, Mr Costello.
Seriously.
Labor must be apoplectic with joy.
Yeah,
If you are interesting in watching the first woman with the ability to become Prime Minister – you should be watching Gillard.
More than a few dollars going her way tonight.
I am having a vision of a time when Australia has a woman PM.
oooh its slowly coming to me She has red hair and wears nice suits and has an oker voice, i think her first name starts with a J and the surname starts with a G.
The next Liberal Prime Minister, let alone the next Liberal FEMALE PM aint been born yet….sorry!
“Sexual Magnetism” as a reason for her support?
You must be kidding, surely. Nice enough woman and one hell of an operator, but “sexual magnetism”?
You ARE kidding.
Yes Adrian Jackson I understand Kelly has done some reserve training. She’s not some political hack – she was a well respected lawyer and a pretty well rounded person.
Kelly is intelligent, passionate and really quite brilliant. Cannot wait to see her on the parliamentary benches.
And she’s young – she’s got time!
How wonderful – they dump a successfull business person and promote yet another political staffer with no life experience – gender should be irrelevant – ability to understand the ‘real world’ should be the first priority. Being cossetted in the surreal life of a political apparatchik doesn’t exactly ring any of my bells.
First Kooyong, now HIggins, seems the liberals are hell bent on 40 years in the wilderness as the staffers take over
At least neither JA nor J-Rat are now the candidate for Higgins
there will never ever be a female PM
get over yourselves you clowns
O’Dwyer is a puppet for Costello and he was of course our greatest “Hamlet”
Just settle down -for this go no where do nothing without Pete’s say so! will never amount to much
Vexnews I want to know a bit more about her pedigree.On first look there seems to be a distinct likeness to Princess Margaret and Sarah Ferguson. Maybe even a bit of Pharlap.Giddy up old girl.
She has a big mouth I am sure she is up for the job.
Look on the bright side (9.25) definitely agree on that score. Idolworth and Sleezel are a disgrace; even to the Kroger faction. Good to see Chardonnay in Caulfield has finally realized her pointlessness is about to retire into oblivion
For the Record….I think it is misleading that the press is actually saying Kelly has made history winning preselection for a safe seat…. I can only assume they mean FEDERALLY and good on her, as there are a number who have got it for State eg. Louise Asher Brighton and Helen Shardey Caulfield… think they were pretty safe at the time and still are..
Now girls… that’s not fair.
KOD has made history – she is the first electorate officer ever to have won Higgins.
Now that is something at least… isn’t it honeys?
What about me? Why haven’t I got a safe seat?
Kelly comes from a army family
She is a very horny babe, I’d love to blow her Diaphragm to bits.
I’m like to give her one sexy time!!
I am from Perth and I wouldn’t even vote for Abercrombie. He is too old (53) to start in politics…
So all you sad sacks, howd your compaign for the “Do not proceed go ?”
Great success that was…….
Not !
The grubby campaign against Kelly O was run by a horrid little man called Coke Tomlyn who despises young women. Too say young woman should not run for politics is despicable. Please Coke, resign from the party and take David Davis and that other grub Tim Wilson with you.PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE
I would be interested to know how much her CV has been padded.
She worked for Costello – as an adviser or an Electorate Officer? Cos lets face it EOs are basically glorified Admin jobs. Or was she one of those EOs who call themselves advisers?
An Executive at NAB what exactly does being an ‘executive’ mean? Was she a senior manager, middle manager or just a team leader. A google search on NAB executives doesn’t bring up her name in anything other than what has been mentioned in the media.
Image those big red lips wrapped around your old fella.
There is only room for one real woman in politics and that is me. I am the genuine first lady of the parliament and this two bit strumpet will not take my crown…although I do like what she’s done with her hair!
The media have been raving on that O’Dwyer was the first Liberal women to get pre-selected for a plum” (same word used on ABC TV News on Friday night and The Age on Saturday morning) Liberals seat. What about Louise Asher in Brighton to name just one. Brighton is more blue ribbon that Higgins is too.
I note the photo of Kelly in The Age this morning was a typical Toorak lounge room setting just like Helen Kroger was pictured over 9 years ago when she was mooted to be standing in Jeff Kennett’s (the “Jesus” who saved Victoria) old seat but pulled out after the Kroger faction did the sums and found the seat would be lost to the ALP; which it was.
Why the focus purely on getting women in to the Parliament?
Simon Berger’s announcement today about this sexuality is a reminder of how far behind the Liberal Party is in relation to that demographic.
What about getting more candidates from non-Christian religions?
What about getting Liberal MP’s from the Chinese, Indian or Aboriginal communities?
I think I will take the ALP offer, either for Higgins or Kooyong, my celebrity should easily beat either, but with my ego, perhaps I could hold both seats, and take on Aston as well. That should upset Klisaris.
Better a TV star than a former staffer, thrice the staffer!