New NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane heckled on first day in Parramatta
NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane is in hot water after arriving in Parramatta on her first full day as state Liberal leader.
The first-term Vaucluse MP was elected unopposed after a meeting in the Liberal Party hall on Friday, following the sudden resignation of Mark Speakman.
Mr Speakman had struck a defiant tone on Thursday morning but admitted that afternoon he needed to “clear the air” for the party.
On Saturday, Ms Sloane traveled to Parramatta, where the Liberals lost to Labor in the 2023 state election, where she met with local councillors.
His visit was reportedly well received by locals, and he was greeted by protesters, some wearing NSW Socialists shirts.
“Looting the Liberals’ parade is the work of socialists, especially when they come to Parramatta for a photo op,” the group said on its Facebook page.
“Shout out to our Western Sydney members for giving Kellie Sloane the welcome she deserved on her first day as NSW Liberal leader.”
The group reportedly accused Ms Sloane of being a frontrunner for “developers and billionaires”.
Speaking later, Ms Sloane said she was “always happy to have difficult conversations and I’m here to listen to them.”
He said small business owners felt NSW was “stalled” as prices and rents rose.
Ms Sloane, who also visited Little India in Harris Park, said getting to Parramatta, the “demographic and geographical heart of our city”, was a priority.
“I’m delighted to be here in Parramatta on my first day of work,” he said.
“This is also the engine room of our state.
“I’m really proud of the record of success the NSW Liberals and Coalition have achieved in Western Sydney.”
He noted investments in WestConnex and western Sydney hospitals.
With more than a year until voters return to the polls, Ms Sloane faces an uphill battle amid a slowdown in voting and the effects of federal dissent in the Coalition.
In his first media address, he promised to “roll up his sleeves” and commit to continuing his predecessor’s commitment to net zero and YIMBY attitudes.
His trip to Little India comes ahead of a planned event in Sydney that will also be attended by backbencher Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.
Ms Price was met with outrage earlier this year after comments she made about the Indian community in Australia prompted immediate action from NSW Labor and the Liberals.
