Gay Liberal Tim Wilson To Run For Re-Election in the Goldstein Electorate
Image: Former Liberal MP for Goldstein, Tim Wilson.
After his loss at the 2022 Federal elections, out gay former Liberal Member of Parliament, Tim Wilson, has announced a political rematch against teal Independent MP Zoe Daniel in the Melbourne electorate of Goldstein.
He is the only one, yet, among the six Liberals defeated by independents to officially announce his candidacy for the upcoming election.
Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in economics, the former federal Liberal MP plans to seek Liberal Party preselection in the upcoming weeks and is expected to face minimal competition for the bayside seat.
Wilson reflected on prior accusations of arrogance by the public, stating that he recognised the combination of his individual demeanour and professional path may have played a role in contributing to a critical perception.
‘Defeat Was A Gift’
According to Nine Newspapers, Wilson spoke candidly about his previous defeat in parliament in an interview, stating, “Can I be brutally honest? I think defeat was a gift the community gave me.”
Wilson explained that since his teenage years, he has been driven by a sense of urgency to compensate for lost time, particularly in overcoming the trauma of reconciling with his sexuality.
“I think people could see I was in a hurry. And then thought, probably, I needed to be humbled. And part of me thinks they were right”, he added.
Last year, former Liberal MP Tim Wilson admitted defeat in the formerly secure Victorian seat of Goldstein, losing to the ‘teal independent’ and former journalist Zoe Daniel. Wilson was first elected to the seat of Goldstein in 2016 and was reelected in 2019.
Wilson Thanks Community
Wilson expressed gratitude to the community and his team, emphasising his pride in the accomplishments during his tenure. He noted achievements including, the establishment of marriage equality, the prevention of Labor’s retiree tax and highlighted his role in initiating the development of Australia’s offshore wind industry.
Wilson predicted that Labor’s management of the economy and their approach to addressing cost of living concerns would play to his advantage in the upcoming election.
He criticised the teals performance for 2023, declaring that he believed they had a lack of understanding of parliamentary workings. “Because they had no connection to how a parliament works, they didn’t realise that just jumping around in Parliament House wasn’t going to be enough to change national outcomes”, Wilson said.
He asserted that he had already conquered the most significant fear shared by politicians – the fear of defeat, whether in government or at the hands of their constituents.
