The Boomer dad and Millennial daughter. Meet the family making NSW political history

2 months ago 5

Liberal MP Monica Tudehope and her politician father Damien are, according to NSW Liberal Leader Kellie Sloane’s definition, the epitome of the Coalition’s new frontbench. A Millennial about to have a baby and a Boomer who has the life experience and wisdom needed to win government.

The Tudehopes are the first father/daughter duo to sit in NSW parliament together, and are now also both frontbench MPs, after Monica was promoted to shadow cabinet in Sloane’s reshuffle.

Monica Tudehope and her father Damien will sit together in Kellie Sloane’s new shadow cabinet.

Monica, the MP for Epping, takes on the finance portfolio, the role her father had in the previous Perrottet government, where she worked as a senior ministerial staffer. Damien, meanwhile, moves to the role of shadow attorney-general.

And with her third baby due in April, the Tudehopes are chuffed that for a short while, there will be three generations of the family around the shadow cabinet table.

However, the older Tudehope, an upper house MP, makes no secret about where the talent lies. “There are no tips I can give Monica,” Tudehope said after Sloane unveiled the team she will take to next year’s election.

“She, in fact, has been in government nearly as long as me so her experience having worked for Dom Perrottet for as long as she did when he was treasurer and premier makes her eminently qualified to make a contribution at a high level. I don’t give her tips, she gives them to me.”

Monica joked that her Boomer father could be rewarded with her unborn son being given the middle name Damien “if he plays his cards right”.

“I think it is really exciting,” Monica said. “We bring different perspectives on issues like housing and family policies just because of our different life experience, but Dad also has a lot more parliamentary experience than me, so I think it’s a really good blend and a good mix.”

Sloane described her newly formed frontbench as a mix of “young people and old people”, with talent and experience to give the Labor government a run for its money.

The former leader Mark Speakman was given responsibility for the education portfolio, while the 36-year-old Chris Rath, a vocal YIMBY, has been given planning and housing.

Other young members of her team, including James Wallace and Jacqui Munro, have also been promoted to the frontbench while the father of the house Anthony Roberts takes on police and counterterrorism.

Sloane, meanwhile, brushed away questions about gender parity (there are 16 men on her frontbench and 10 women including herself), insisting that despite the Liberals’ long-held women’s problem, her team was the “best on the field”.

“I haven’t looked at the gender breakdown to be quite honest, and it’s something that I don’t think of ... we have a female leader, a female deputy and I simply chose the best team, so that includes young people, old people, people from regional NSW, people like Monica Tudehope,” Sloane said.