Jess Wilson is the Victorian Liberals’ survival strategy. Are federal Liberals listening?

When John Howard in 2018 described Victoria as the "Massachusetts of Australia" he was describing the state's progressive "small-l liberal" political leaning, particularly in contrast to the more conservative views held in other parts of the country, like Queensland.

So yesterday, when the Liberal Party turned to millennial first-termer Jess Wilson to become its new leader, it appeared they had finally read the room on the political sensibilities in their own backyard.

The man Wilson rolled, Brad Battin, was a Peter Dutton-type figure — almost singularly focused on crime as a former cop, whilst failing to understand the broader culture of the state. He is a self-described "bogan", a man of the suburbs. His schtick never resonated and as a result the Liberals have struggled to gain tracti