Josh Frydenberg says he won't try to snatch Kooyong pre-selection from Liberal woman - ABC News

Josh Frydenberg lost his seat to independent Monique Ryan in last year's election. (AAP: James Ross)

Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg has shut down suggestions of a potential bid to reclaim his old federal seat of Kooyong, which would have required squeezing out the woman who had already won pre-selection for it.

The ABC revealed on Sunday that Mr Frydenberg was considering a tilt at his old seat at the next election, after a proposal for its boundaries to be redrawn supposedly made it easier for the Liberals to reclaim it from independent Monique Ryan.

But doing so would require pre-selection for the seat to be reopened, as Amelia Hamer was already chosen as the party's candidate earlier this year.

In a statement on social media, Mr Frydenberg said he was not "rushing back to politics".

"My position on contesting the next election remains unchanged," he said.

"I will continue to support the Liberal Party and our local candidate Amelia Hamer."

Earlier, several of Mr Frydenberg's Liberal colleagues trashed the idea of him reclaiming Kooyong, suggesting if he was interested he could have run in March.

A furious Charlotte Mortlock, who chairs a group dedicated to aiding more women to win pre-selection for the Liberals, said it would be unacceptable to "turf out a woman" for Mr Frydenberg.

"What are we going to say, 'Hey pussycat, thanks for quitting your job six months ago … but no sorry, someone else has had a change of heart and would like to run, so move out of the way,'" she told ABC News Breakfast on Monday morning.

Former minister Karen Andrews however said the Victorian branch of the Liberals should find a way to bring Mr Frydenberg back into the fold, saying he would be an "asset" at the next election.

Ms Andrews said that did not contradict her vocal advocacy for more women to represent the party in parliament and be given opportunities for pre-selection in winnable seats, because the scenario had changed with a proposal to redraw Kooyong's boundaries.

The former treasurer lost his seat at the 2022 election to "teal" challenger Ryan, one of the major upsets of the evening for the Liberal Party.

He had previously been considered a frontrunner for future leader of the Liberal Party.

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2024-06-03 03:11:15Z
CBMiZGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDI0LTA2LTAzL2pvc2gtZnJ5ZGVuYmVyZy13b250LXRyeS1rb295b25nLXBvbGl0aWNhbC1jb21lYmFjay8xMDM5MjgwMzjSAShodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTAzOTI4MDM4

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