Following the federal Liberal Party's decision to ditch net zero in a shift towards the right faction of the party, the NSW and Victorian divisions both put forward two moderate women leaders this week in a bid to claw back support.
"They are worried about the next election," Dr Blair Williams, lecturer in Australian politics at Monash University, told SBS News.
In Victoria, corporate millennial Jess Wilson became the party's first female leader and third leader of the state Opposition in the space of 12 months on Tuesday.
She replaced Brad Battin, who in turn won the leadership from John Pesutto last December.
On Friday, former journalist Kellie Sloane was elected unopposed as the NSW Liberals' leader, following the resignation of Mark Speakman the day before.
While Wilson declined to comment on her party's stance on net zero, Sloane said on Friday the party in her state would not ditch the target.
Also this week in NSW, the Liberals' Coalition partner, the Nationals, named moderate Gurmesh Singh as their new leader. Singh is a supporter of net zero and the first Sikh to lead a major political party in Australia.
Amy Remeikis, chief political analyst at the Australia Institute, told SBS News the disconnect between the federal and state parties reflects a "real crisis of identity".
"You can see the state parties are trying to differentiate themselves from their federal counterparts," she said.
Searching for 'clean air'
The move from the federal Coalition to scrap its net zero policy has attracted criticism from the likes of former Liberal Party MP Matt Kean and Papua New Guinea's foreign minister.
Federal Opposition leader Sussan Ley told SBS News on Monday she was still "100 per cent committed" to the decision made by the party room last week.
Polling indicates that more Australians support keeping net zero as an emissions reduction target in some capacity.
A Resolve poll conducted at the start of November and published in The Age newspaper showed 54 per cent of the 1,804 people surveyed supported a net zero target, with 28 per cent of people supporting it even if it were "aspirational" rather than legally binding.
Nineteen per cent believed Australia should abandon net zero, while continuing to reduce emissions where affordable. Twelve per cent wanted the target abandoned altogether.
It comes as the Coalition's primary support has continued to drop. Polling released this week from RedBridge and Accent Research indicated the Coalition's primary vote fell five points to 24 per cent, while Labor gained four points to sit at 38 per cent.
"It's really difficult for the state Liberal parties to get any clean air at the moment," Remeikis told SBS News.
With a state election in Victoria a year away, and the NSW election due in March 2027, Remeikis said it's the states that are "bearing the immediate cost" of the disconnect between policy and people when it comes to issues such as net zero.
"It's always harder for state parties because they're the ones who have to deal directly with people. They're the ones who are in charge of services," Remeikis said.
"This is creating a massive crisis for the state Liberal parties who are trying to separate themselves from the federal Liberal Party."
Victoria's millennial Opposition leader
Williams told SBS News that Wilson presents an interesting alternative for Victorian voters.
"She's a millennial. She's 35 years old. That is really a smart choice, because the Liberal Party have been really struggling in the polls with not only women, but especially younger people," she said.
"She has called herself a 'small l' liberal, and she was also the only Victorian Liberal MP to publicly support the Indigenous Voice to Parliament."
Wilson was a consultant at 'big four' accounting firm KPMG, and held a role at the Business Council of Australia, before being elected in the seat of Kew in 2022.
Jess Wilson is the first female leader of the Victorian Liberal Party. Source: AAP / Joel Carrett
Battin had recently expressed he was "comfortable" retaining Victoria's goal of net zero emissions by 2045.
Remeikis said that while Wilson is a "new face", she doesn't think the party will move closer to the centre of politics as a result.
"For the Victorian Liberals, it's not a leadership problem they have. It's a problem of policy and what their base is telling them to do."
Wilson has said she would commit to the party's policy to repeal the nation's first Treaty with First Nations' people.
A poll released the same day as the leadership spill showed the Coalition under Battin narrowly led the Victorian Labor Party 51-49, according to Freshwater polling.
Kellie Sloane defends yacht photo
On Friday, newly elected NSW Opposition leader Kellie Sloane told the media her party has had a "consistent position on net zero since 2016".
"I'll bring my own style of leadership. I'll be consultative, I'll try to remain myself, be authentic, listen to people."
Sloane was also forced to defend a photo that emerged on social media of her eating caviar at a party on a yacht in 2017.
"If that's the worst they can come off with, I think it's a good start," she said.
Newly elected NSW Opposition leader Kellie Sloane joined deputy leader Natalie Ward outside the party room on Friday. Source: AAP / Bianca De Marchi
"Which is quite useful when the previous Liberal leader really failed to get through and relate to people," she said.
However, Remeikis said Sloane faces an uphill challenge against Labor Premier Chris Minns. A November Resolve poll found Minns led as preferred leader 31 per cent to 19 per cent — a drop from 37 per cent in September.
"It will not be Kelly Sloane's fault if the NSW Liberals do not win the next election," Remeikis said.
"It's a really, really tough ask."
Can they improve the polls?
Williams told SBS News she is unsure if either leader can reverse the fortunes of the Liberal Party, which polls especially low among young people and women.
"The party is crumbling around Australia. In the last NSW election the Liberals couldn't even pre-select a lot of candidates for local councils," Williams said.
In light of deeper questions about the ideology of the Liberal Party following the election defeat in 2025, these moves could be seen as "slapping on a fresh face, and a woman".
"One leader can't change everything, and nor should we expect women leaders to change everything," she said.
Remeikis agreed.
"It's going to take a pretty big change to change voters' perceptions," she said.
"But who knows? Stranger things have happened."
"I'm from Queensland and we are a moody bitch when it comes to being an electorate, so maybe Victoria and NSW will take a leaf out of our book."
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