A Liberal star politician, Tim Wilson is having a real fight this time in his seat of Goldstein, once considered a prize for Liberal politicians. When for Liberal minister Andrew Robb decided to retire in2016, Tim Wilson resigned his $400,000 per annum job as Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner to represent the electorate of Goldstein.
Political analysts saw a future leader in him and acknowledged the passion he has to work for his country. Such is his passion to serve the nation that he does not see himself as a mere delegate of the people of Goldstein in Canberra. Rather he would voice his community’s concerns, uphold community’s values in Canberra to vote for the national interest.
That puts him in quite a contrast with the woke politicians – mushrooming everywhere – the so-called teal independents who promise to deliver what their voters want to hear.
Despite being under pressure from the Independent Zoe Daniel in Goldstein who some pundits predict will unseat him on May 21, Tim Wilson is undeterred and will not change course.
“One of the critical differences between myself and particularly the so called independents is they think that you should just do what’s in the interest of your community in Canberra, I’m sorry, I don’t accept that. I’m somebody who absolutely believes in voicing the values of the community, but it’s to take the nation forward. And when I vote in the parliament, I vote for the national interest. I’m not a delegate from a community, I’m a representative to advance the nation. And I make no apology about that”, Tim Wilson told Dinesh Malhotra of Bharat Times in an interview, on May 11.
That alone should be sufficient to rate him as a potential leader. A leader is someone who works for his convictions and is known for what he / she stands for. Not many stand the test when under pressure and choose the easiest wriggle room when asked questions so close to the polling day.
There are reports in the media that he tried put pressure on the local council to have election signs of Zoe Daniel removed.
The Age wrote: “MP Tim Wilson personally pushed his electorate’s council to take down political signage displaying his opponent before the election was called.”
The claim being made by The Age is plain WRONG. That is proven by a text message image used by The Age in the same story.
In the text (see image) on February 13, sent to the council, Tim Wilson wrote:
“We have been told by council that we are not allowed to erect signs until the election is called yet my opponent is doing it and the council isn’t doing anything.”
“Can you please advise – is council going to turn a blind eye and we all can do it? Or is it going to enforce the rules it sets?”
To inform the Council where those signs were erected, his office prepared and sent a list (called spreadsheet by The Age) of locations.
Clearly, having been told by the Council not to erect any signs until the election was called, Tim Wilson was asking the Council how Zoe Daniel’s signs could be allowed.
In my view, Tim was asking for a level playing field and cannot be painted as a villain.
Not on this.
“There’s an agenda from some people in the age to boost my opponent, they want to make this election campaign locally sexy. I think, frankly, everybody sees through it”, a cool and collected Tim said in his interview with Dinesh Malhotra.
The fact that opinion polls put his seat of Goldstein in the list of seats the Liberals can lose on May 21, is not lost on him.
He is quietly hopeful that despite the close contest on May 21, he may still be the member of parliament for Goldstein.
Also read: Zoe Daniel – an ‘un-chained’. progressive alternative in Goldstein
Should he survive this election, what will he do differently to not be in a similar situation in 2025? he said:
“Well, I’m not sure that I will do that much differently, to be honest, because one of the things they love me or loathe me … I am somebody who believes in things.
“And I’ve come to politics in service of the nation. And of course, I have the great privilege of representing the people of Goldstein if they decide otherwise, then of course, I’ll accept that judgment. But I’m very focused on delivery for the community, but taking the values of the community to our nation and being a strong and forceful voice for them”, Tim Wilson said.
In other words, Tim says he is not someone who will his position on things he believes merely to win an election adding “I know there are people out there who definitely sit in a different camp”.
About his opponent Zoe Daniel, Tim says she is a Labor proxy because he sighted people in his electorate volunteering for her on pre polling booths were Labor volunteers at the last election. He also added that Zoe Daniel herself has admitted to have voted Labor in 2019.
Are you quietly confident that you’ll hold on to your seat?
“I’m optimistic that I’ll hold on to my seat”, Tim Wilson said in answer to that.
The result on May 21 will tell. You can listen to the interview here.
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