Fresh leader faces same problems for embattled Liberals

WHO IS KELLIE SLOANE?

* Kellie Sloane, a former journalist and TV presenter, first tried her hand at politics in 2022 but was defeated in the preselection for former prime minister Gladys Berejiklian’s seat of Willoughby

* A few months later he became the Liberal candidate for the Electorate of Vaucluse in Sydney’s east, winning the seat in the 2023 state election.

* Mark Speakman appoints him to opposition frontbench as environment spokesman

* Became health spokesman after Matt Kean’s resignation in 2024

WHY DID HE BECOME THE LEADER NOW?

* Chaotic fallout from federal party’s election defeat tarnishes Liberals’ provincial brand

* The state’s National Party’s split from its coalition counterpart on issues such as a net-zero emissions target has fueled the perception of a divided opposition

* Although Ms Sloane and her predecessor come from the same group of moderates, the federal election has fueled calls for new faces and a new direction; many believe he could represent this change

WHAT POLICY PROBLEMS DOES IT FACE?

* Housing remains a major issue as NSW looks to build 377,000 new homes by 2029. Ms Sloane is ‘pro-housing’ but her constituents are known to be against denser development

* The NSW Liberals’ decision to commit to a net-zero emissions target by 2050 risks deepening divisions with the state’s National Party, which voted against the policy

* Cost of living remains a major issue for all political parties and forms a key tenet of the opposition Liberals’ policy platforms

WHAT ARE THE LIBERALS’ CHANCES IN THE 2027 NSW ELECTIONS?

* No first-term opposition has won an election in NSW or federally since the 1930s

* Coalition trails in latest polls; Some polls, including DemosAU, put Labor ahead 59-41 on a two-party basis.

* But Prime Minister Chris Minns believes the upcoming election will be contentious