Jess Wilson

Jessica Kate Wilson (born 25 April 1990) is an Australian politician who has served as the leader of the Opposition in Victoria and the leader of the Victorian Liberal Party since 2025. She has been the member of parliament (MP) for the district of Kew since 2022.

Prior to entering politics, Wilson was Executive Director of Policy at the Business Council of Australia. She is the daughter of former state MP Ron Wilson.

Political career Prior to her candidacy for the seat of Kew, Wilson worked as an adviser to former federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg and as Executive Director of Policy at the Business Council of Australia. Additionally, she was a former president of the Victorian Young Liberals in 2016. During her time as the leader of the Young Liberals, she faced and narrowly survived a challenge from self-described 'small-l-liberals', over frustration with the influence of the Institute of Public Affairs, a conservative think tank.

Wilson was preselected to be Liberal candidate for the traditionally safe Liberal seat of Kew after defeating a number of pre-selection candidates including a senior Victorian Liberal figure, David Davis.

On 18 December 2022, Liberal Party leader John Pesutto announced that Wilson would join the opposition front bench, becoming the shadow minister for finance, shadow minister for economic reform and regulation, and shadow minister for home ownership and housing affordability. On 2 October 2023, as part of a shadow cabinet reshuffle, Wilson became the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood and Education in lieu of Home Ownership and Housing Affordability, retaining the Shadow Minister for Finance, and Shadow Minister for Economic Reform and Regulation portfolios.

On 26 December 2024, Wilson announced that she would nominate for the leadership of the Victorian Liberal Parliamentary Party if the following day's spill motion was successful. She was eliminated in the first round of voting. She was subsequently made shadow minister for education and shadow minister for industry and economic growth, replacing her previous portfolios.

After a shadow cabinet reshuffle caused by the resignation of two senior Liberal MPs, on 11 October 2025, Wilson was given the senior position of Shadow Treasurer of Victoria, replacing her other portfolios.

In October 2025, the ABC reported that Wilson is the most likely person to succeed Brad Battin amid growing frustration among MPs of the Victorian Liberal party.

Leadership spill

On 17 November 2025, ABC News reported that a cross-factional delegation of Liberal MPs informed Liberal leader Brad Battin that he had lost the support of the party room and that it understood that Wilson would nominate for the leadership of the party in a spill the following morning.

At the full Liberal party room meeting, members of the party's caucus voted 19 to 13 to allow the spill, after which Wilson was elected unopposed. Wilson became the first woman to lead the Victorian Liberals.

Opposition leader (2025–present) On 30 November 2025, Wilson announced her shadow cabinet. The ministry was notable for including former Liberal leaders Brad Battin, who led the party before Wilson, and Matthew Guy, while excluding John Pesutto. Furthermore, Wilson retained her shadow treasurer role, breaking with Liberal Party precedent of the deputy having the treasury portfolio. On 3 December 2025, the Allan Government matched Wilson's commitment to criminalisation.

In April 2026, Wilson announced a series of justice policies, including expanding the range of offences treated as adult crimes to include burglary, serious assault and attempted murder, introducing a "one-strike" bail rule where offenders who reoffend while on bail would be automatically refused.

In May 2026, Wilson unveiled a 10-year economic plan, which included a freeze on non frontline public sector positions.

From June 2026, Wilson announced a series of policies ahead of the November state election, including tougher penalties for serious offences, reforms to bail laws, greater housing development and a proposal to restore weekly rubbish collection across Victoria. In recent polling, the Liberal National Coalition has held a lead over the Allan and subsequently Carroll Labor governments, with a DemosAU poll in August showing the Coalition ahead 55 to 45 on a two party preferred basis. The same poll found Wilson leading Premier Ben Carroll 43 to 34 as preferred premier.

Wilson is widely considered a moderate within the party, reflecting the politics of the blue-ribbon seat she represents.

Personal life Wilson grew up in Melbourne's inner east. Her father Ron was also a Liberal Party state MP, being the member for Bennettswood between 1999 and 2002.

Wilson attended Mont Albert Primary School and Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar, and completed tertiary education at Monash University. Wilson played hockey for the Kew Box Hill Hockey Club, and barracks for the Collingwood Football Club.

Wilson identifies as a Roman Catholic.