Former economics committee chair Wilson plots political return
Former chair of the House of Representatives’ Standing Economics Committee, Tim Wilson, is planning a return to politics after losing his seat in the 2022 federal election.
Wilson, who chaired the committee from June 2018 to October 2021, lost his seat in Goldstein, Victoria, after six years to independent Zoe Daniel.
It has now been announced that he has been endorsed by the Liberal Party to stand in the seat again against Daniel in the next election.
Since leaving politics, he has been studying towards a PhD in economics.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said: “Tim understands the challenges people are facing with mortgage costs and power bills soaring under Labor and will work every day to deliver real cost-of-living relief for families and small businesses.”
Senator Jane Hume, who was the former financial services minister, offered her congratulations on social media to Wilson’s appointment.
During his tenure, Wilson advocated for using superannuation contribution to fund a property deposit via a campaign called Home First, Super Second.
Through a series of questions on notice of superannuation funds in his position as chair, he also asked Prime Super and other super funds to outline their policy on fund members using their superannuation fund for a deposit to buy their first home and retirees using their superannuation to renovate their home or pay rent.
This prompted claims by some fellow MPs that his actions were inappropriate and represented a politicisation of the committee process.
Senator Andrew Bragg is also a keen advocate of people being able to use their superannuation for housing and was recently appointed as the new shadow assistant minister for home ownership.
Wilson launched an inquiry into Labor’s policy around franking credits, arguing it would damage the savings and superannuation balances of retirees.
As well as Wilson, former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg lost his seat in Kooyong and is now working at Goldman Sachs, while Jason Falinski, who held the same committee position as Wilson in the past, also lost his seat in Mackellar.
AUTHOR
Laura Dew
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Wilson and some of his fellow coalition reserve graders were roundly and rightly turfed out last election by their electorates, in part for their wacky attacks on our world class super system. Surely the Libs can do better than rehash him? Maybe not.