Jess Wilson
{{Short description|Victorian state MP}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Jess Wilson
|honorific-suffix = MP
|image = File:Jess Wilson 0026 (cropped).png
|constituency_AM = Kew
|assembly = Victorian Legislative
|term_start = 26 November 2022
|term_end =
|predecessor = Tim Smith
|successor =
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1990|4|25}}
|party = Liberal Party
|occupation = Lawyer
|spouse = Aaron Lane
|father = Ron Wilson{{cite news |last1=Coster |first1=Alice |title=The QC, the mojitos and the phantom: Inside Tim Smith's disastrous night |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/page-13/the-qc-the-mojitos-and-the-phantom-inside-tim-smiths-disastrous-night/news-story/03e3b01041f11e0e6ce26c787892b315 |access-date=13 November 2022 |work=Herald Sun |date=5 November 2021 |archive-date=14 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114000507/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/page-13/the-qc-the-mojitos-and-the-phantom-inside-tim-smiths-disastrous-night/news-story/03e3b01041f11e0e6ce26c787892b315 |url-status=live }}
|alma_mater = Monash University
|website = {{URL|http://jesswilsonkew.com.au}}
}}
Jessica Kate Wilson (born 25 April 1990) is an Australian politician who is the member for Kew in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, representing the Liberal Party. Prior to her candidacy at the 2022 Victorian state election, Wilson was the executive director of the Business Council of Australia.{{cite news |last1=Willingham |first1=Richard |title=Former Liberal MP Tim Smith's replacement decided ahead of 2022 Victorian election |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-11/victorian-liberal-preselection-decided-2022-state-election/100692968 |work=ABC News |date=11 December 2021 |language=en-AU |access-date=21 September 2022 |archive-date=21 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921042926/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-11/victorian-liberal-preselection-decided-2022-state-election/100692968 |url-status=live }}
Politics
Prior to her candidacy for the Kew seat, Wilson worked as an adviser to former federal energy minister Josh Frydenberg and as Director at the Business Council of Australia. Additionally, she was a former president of the Victorian Young Liberals.{{cite news |last1=Ilanbey |first1=Sumeyya |title=Ex-Frydenberg staffer shapes as front runner to take Smith's Kew seat |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/ex-frydenberg-staffer-shapes-as-front-runner-to-take-smith-s-kew-seat-20211107-p596p2.html |work=The Age |date=7 November 2021 |language=en |access-date=21 September 2022 |archive-date=21 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921043739/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/ex-frydenberg-staffer-shapes-as-front-runner-to-take-smith-s-kew-seat-20211107-p596p2.html |url-status=live }}
Wilson was preselected to be Liberal candidate for the traditionally safe Liberal seat of Kew after defeating a number of pre-selection candidates including a senior Victorian Liberal figure, David Davis. At the 2022 Victorian state election, she defeated teal independent Sophie Torney and Labor candidate Lucy Skelton.{{cite news |last1=Ilanbey |first1=Sumeyya |last2=Annika |first2=Smethurst |author-link2=Annika Smethurst |title=Shadow of drink-drive MP lingers over battle for Kew, as teals name candidate |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/shadow-of-drink-drive-mp-lingers-over-battle-for-kew-as-teals-name-candidate-20220825-p5bclq.html |work=The Age |date=26 August 2022 |language=en |access-date=21 September 2022 |archive-date=21 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921050440/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/shadow-of-drink-drive-mp-lingers-over-battle-for-kew-as-teals-name-candidate-20220825-p5bclq.html |url-status=live }}
On 18 December 2022, Liberal Party leader John Pesutto announced that Wilson would join the opposition front bench becoming the Shadow Minister for Finance, Shadow Minister for Economic Reform and Regulation, and Shadow Minister for Home Ownership and Housing Affordability.{{cite news |title=Victorian Liberals create justice reform and housing affordability roles in new frontbench |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-18/victorian-liberal-party-announces-new-shadow-cabinet/101785628 |access-date=20 December 2022 |work=ABC News |date=18 December 2022 |language=en-AU |archive-date=20 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220000042/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-18/victorian-liberal-party-announces-new-shadow-cabinet/101785628 |url-status=live }} On 2 October 2023, as part of a cabinet reshuffle, Wilson became the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood and Education in lieu of Home Ownership and Housing Affordability, retaining the Shadow Minister for Finance, and Shadow Minister for Economic Reform and Regulation portfolios.{{cite news |last1=Godde |first1=Callum |title=Cabinet and opposition refresh after Andrews bows out |url=https://thewest.com.au/politics/cabinet-and-opposition-refresh-after-andrews-bows-out-c-12081188 |access-date=4 October 2023 |work=The West Australian |agency=Australian Associated Press |date=2 October 2023 |language=en-AU}}
In 2023, Wilson was the only Victorian Liberal MP who publicly supported the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/the-sole-victorian-liberal-mp-publicly-backing-the-voice-20230812-p5dvy5.html |work=The Age |access-date=18 June 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230812042725/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/the-sole-victorian-liberal-mp-publicly-backing-the-voice-20230812-p5dvy5.html |archive-date=12 August 2023 |title=The sole Victorian Liberal MP publicly backing the Voice |date=12 August 2023 |first=Annika |last=Smethurst |url-status=live}}
On Boxing Day 2024 (26 December) she announced that she would nominate for the leadership of the Victoria Liberal Parliamentary Party if the following day’s spill motion was successful.{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/battin-to-challenge-for-leadership-as-crucial-vote-to-be-put-to-mps-20241226-p5l0pa.html |access-date=26 December 2024 |archive-date=26 December 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241226083959/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/battin-to-challenge-for-leadership-as-crucial-vote-to-be-put-to-mps-20241226-p5l0pa.html |url-status=live |title=Wilson, Battin to challenge for leadership, as crucial vote to be put to MPs |work=The Age |first1=Carla |last1=Jaeger |first2=Chip |last2=Le Grand |date=26 December 2024}} She was eliminated in the first round of voting.{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/last-minute-contender-emerges-for-liberal-leadership-showdown-20241227-p5l0sq.html |access-date=27 December 2024 |work=The Age |quote=Wilson, considered a moderate and rising star, finished third in the first-round ballot, leaving Battin and Crewther as the candidates in the final vote, which Battin won 21-7. |archive-date=27 December 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241227080818/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/last-minute-contender-emerges-for-liberal-leadership-showdown-20241227-p5l0sq.html |title=Brad Battin, having rolled Pesutto, promises unity and makes election pitch |first1=Carla |last1=Jaeger |first2=Broede |last2=Carmody |date=27 December 2024}}
Personal life
Wilson grew up in Melbourne's inner east attending Mont Albert Primary School and Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar, and completing tertiary education at Monash University. Wilson played hockey for the Kew Box Hill Hockey Club, and barracks for the Collingwood Football Club.{{cite web |last1=Wilson |first1=Jess |title=Meet Jess |url=https://www.jesswilsonkew.com.au/about |website=www.jesswilsonkew.com.au |access-date=21 September 2022 |archive-date=21 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921051158/https://www.jesswilsonkew.com.au/about |url-status=live }}
References
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{{s-bef|before=Tim Smith}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for Kew|years=2022–present}}
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{{VicCurrentMLAs}}
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Category:Politicians from Melbourne
Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Category:Monash Law School alumni
Category:21st-century Australian politicians
Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria
Category:21st-century Australian women politicians
Category:Women members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
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