Sophie Mirabella says she’s finished in frontline politics and will turn her focus to being a commentator, a decision made after her second consecutive defeat in the Victorian seat of Indi.
The former frontbencher blamed unions, activist groups and “Melbourne-based feminists” for her loss on July 2, as independent MP Cathy McGowan recorded a 4.5 per cent swing in the regional seat.
Last night however, she told Andrew Bolt on Sky News that she will remain on the conservative side but “be a commentator rather than a participant.”
“I’m young. I’ve got a lot of experience, a lot of skills (…) I’ll always have an interest and I will always support good people because I think that’s important but it’s time to think of my family and to do other stuff,” Mrs Mirabella added.
“When the left-wing media, and GetUp! and the unions get together with the Melbourne-based feminists to have a go at you and they’ve had a go at you, what more can they do?”
“It’s about resilience. We did an analysis and we did polling, and it was in the interest of the party that I stood because it added to the vote,” she continued.
“When you’re running against an independent who appears to have no political allegiances, even though they vote with the left, you really do need that experience, that corporate knowledge and that name recognition to maximise the Liberal vote.”
Mrs Mirabella also used the interview to back Tony Abbott’s decision to remain in politics, saying he is a very experienced politician, making a contribution to public debate regardless of whether he is a front or backbencher.
“Even in the days before Machiavelli, there’s always a competitive tension in politics,” she said.
“In many ways, being on the backbench and with the status he has as a former prime minister, gives him a bigger voice.”