Liberal backbencher Jane Hume has fronted national television to say her demotion under new Liberal leader Sussan Ley hurts both professionally and personally but that she feels liberated as she will no longer have to stick to talking points.
“If you’re asking me whether I’ve been, I feel, hurt or slighted by this move from Sussan. Well, look, of course it hurts,” she told Channel Seven’s Sunrise program.
Senator Jane Hume said the demotion hurt both professionally and personally.Credit: AFR
“You know, it hurts professionally because I was such a hardworking and prolific and high-profile member of the frontbench in the previous opposition. And it hurts personally, too, because Sussan and I are friends.”
Hume went on to say she would get behind Sussan Ley and continue to focus on doing her job.
“Now, this isn’t the playground,” she said. “This is the parliament. I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to make a difference. I’m here to fight for the future of your kids, my kids, their kids, for freedom and choice and personal responsibility and reward for effort and the importance of small business and the dangers of big government.”
She told Sunrise host Natalie Barr that her designation to the backbench would be a positive for her program, saying it would lead to more interesting interviews.
“And, in fact, there is something very liberating about being on the backbench, in being able to speak without having to stick to the party line and without having to stick to talking points – that’s certainly going to make for much more interesting Sunrise interviews.”
Hume then said the most important thing to do now was get behind Sussan Ley and “put our shoulders to the wheel, because there’s a very big task ahead of us, not only to win back the hearts and minds and votes of Australians, but also to hold this terrible government to account, and that’s exactly what I’m going to be doing every day”.
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