Felicity Wilson

Wilson was born in 1982 in Cessnock as the youngest of 3 children. She lives in Cremorne with her husband and their 2 children, both born since her election to parliament.[1]

In her inaugural speech to the Parliament, she spoke about her turbulent childhood due to her father's undiagnosed schizophrenia which led to violence experienced by her and her sisters. She pledged her commitment to addressing the stigma associated with mental illness.[2]

She went to Nulkaba Public School until her family circumstances required her to move to the Central Coast where she finished primary school and started high school, later completing her secondary education at Tara Anglican School for Girls after receiving an academic scholarship.

She holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Media from Macquarie University.[3] Prior to her election, she was studying a Master of Business Administration at the Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of New South Wales as a recipient of the AGSM Excellence Scholarship, including a term completed at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Before entering politics, Wilson was a corporate affairs director for Broadspectrum, and had previously worked in executive and corporate affairs roles at the Property Council of Australia and Caltex.[4]

Prior to her election, Wilson served as Vice President of the NSW Liberal Party and as President of the Liberal Women's Council (NSW) from 2012 to 2015.[5]

Wilson was elected on 8 April 2017 at the North Shore state by-election held to replace the previous member, Jillian Skinner.[6]

Despite concerns than the strong Independent campaign would revisit history with the election of an Independent Member, Wilson prevailed and held onto the seat for the Liberal Party.[7]

In 2018, while heavily pregnant with her first child, Wilson was challenged for preselection by the hard-right's Tim James, who had lost preselection to Wilson first in 2017. Wilson was strongly supported by the Premier Gladys Berejiklian along with the moderate wing of the Liberal Party.[8]

Wilson is known to support action on climate change and had been an advocate for women's rights including supporting legislation to introduce safe access zones around abortion clinics.[9] The preselection was influenced by the heavy presence of right-wing Liberal Party members installed in support of Tony Abbott in the overlapping Federal electorate of Warringah. Wilson narrowly won the vote, but James and right-wing supporters chose to challenge the preselection in the NSW Supreme Court, however his case was dismissed.[10]

Wilson went on to win the 2019 election, more than doubling her margin from the 2017 by-election.[11]

• Inaugural speech to NSW Parliament