Preselection threat hangs over senior Liberal’s resignation
Jing Lee’s surprise resignation from the Liberal Party over the weekend came as she faced a tough battle to win party preselection in the Upper House.
Lee, the deputy leader of the Opposition in the Upper House and shadow minister for tourism and multicultural affairs, announced her resignation from the Liberal Party on Saturday after taking “the time to reflect on my parliamentary and community obligations” over the Christmas break.
Lee has been in parliament since 2010 and will remain there as an independent until at least the March 2026 state election. She has not ruled out standing for re-election as an independent.
Her resignation from the Liberal Party comes before the party’s State Council – a body of more than 200 party delegates – convenes later this year to vote on the Liberal Party’s Upper House ticket for 2026.
InDaily reported in July 2024 that the Right faction controlled State Council may try to relegate Lee, a moderate, to an unwinnable spot on the Upper House ticket.
One party source told InDaily today that Lee “jumped before she was pushed”. Others suggested she faced a tough battle to retain her spot but might have got over the line due to incumbency.
Asked on ABC Radio Adelaide this morning whether preselection played a role in her decision, Lee said: “Any member that belongs to major parties, of course they will be concerned about their preselection – I mean, who wouldn’t?”
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“If you belong to a major party you have to be preselected by the major party and the delegates and State Council,” she said.
“So of course those are part of the considerations, but at the end of the day, I have reached my own decision based on my cycle of my political career.”
Asked specifically if she jumped before she was pushed, Lee said: “We’ll never know those scenarios or circumstances anymore because I’ve already made that decision to be independent.”
Lee did not respond to a request for comment from InDaily.
She largely refrained from criticism of the Liberal Party on radio this morning, saying: “I think it’s very disrespectful to talk about an organisation that I am no longer a part of.”
But she did say that “many people… are disillusioned with major parties”. Asked whether the Liberal Party was the same as when she entered politics 15 years ago, Lee said: “It’s not.”
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Jing Lee speaking to the media in April 2022. Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily
Lee’s resignation also comes after parliament’s controversial abortion vote in October where she reneged on a parliamentary pair with fellow Liberal moderate Michelle Lensink.
Pairing is a parliamentary convention where if one MP intending to vote a particular way is not present in the chamber, another MP voting the other way absents themselves to even the numbers.
Lee was going to vote for the conservative changes to abortion law while Lensink was going to vote against. Lensink, who had been given medical leave, had organised a pair with Lee, but Lee notified her towards the end of the debate that she was pulling out to vote for the bill.
Lee later apologised to Lensink in parliament and said she made “an unthinkable decision under pressure”.
Asked today whether the night of the abortion vote influenced her decision, Lee said: “Those events were certainly not very pleasant and it did traumatise my experience as a representative.”
“It did play a important factor in my decision in what I’m doing and finally resigning from the party,” she said.
Opposition leader Vincent Tarzia said on Saturday he was saddened by Lee’s resignation.
Asked if Lee had resigned because she could not get preselected, Tarzia said: “It’s not me that decides the college of that preselection… it’s up to the Liberal Party State Council.”
“I certainly would have endorsed Jing to run in that college but it’s a matter for her.
“But I think that’s one of many factors. She’s been in the job 15 years. It’s a relentless portfolio area… recent events have clearly taken their toll on Jing, and look we’re very saddened that she’s decided to leave the role.”
Tarzia is expected to reveal a reshuffled frontbench later this month, with Lee relinquishing her tourism and multicultural affairs portfolios with immediate effect.
Lee is the third member of the Liberal Party leadership team to resign since the 2022 state election, following former Opposition leader David Speirs and former deputy leader John Gardner.
