Liberal newcomer unseats Party veteran: My experiences with Keith Wolahan

By Ethan Rozanic

In early January of last year, I reached out to Keith Wolahan over LinkedIn. I wanted to meet the man who had launched a bid to challenge Kevin Andrews in the seat of Menzies.

I walked into Down the Rabbit Hole, a popular café in Templestowe. I expected to meet a power-hungry candidate who had ignorantly decided to challenge the current Father of the House, a Liberal stalwart. Given that the iron laws of arithmetic are what governs politics, I thought Keith was merely seeking to secure my vote.

It was not until after lunch time that I left that café. I left having learned that I was ineligible to vote at the preselection, and immediately questioned myself, why would Keith spend that much time conversing with me and listening to me if I could not vote at the Menzies preselection? I came to the conclusion that Keith genuinely cares.

They say first impressions do matter. It was this initial exchange with Keith that has motivated me to write about him, he is a Liberal politician that inspires me.

Keith Wolahan is an immigrant, travelling from Ireland with his family. As Liberals and as Australians, we are humbly aware that to be born in Australia is to win the lottery of life, as the former Member for Warringah was fond of saying. His family, like so many families that call Australia home, sought opportunity for the betterment of their lives.

Keith acknowledged the opportunity this country has given him through his commitment to this country. He studied, he worked, and he served. Simply, it is these three aspects of the character of Keith Wolahan: his yearning desire to educate himself, his success in his private life and his continuous commitment to service, that I admire and that I can only hope to replicate.

As university students, I believe that we can respect hard work and success when we see it. We each share a common intrinsic value on the importance of educating oneself. For many of us, we have travelled far and wide to have the privilege to study at the ANU and I know that we believe that in order to better ourselves, and contribute to the success of this nation, we are obliged to educate ourselves.

Keith Wolahan was educated at the University of Melbourne, whilst completing part-time Officer training at Duntroon, he continued his studies at Monash University where he was successful in winning the Sir Charles Lowe Prize for Best Legal Advocate. He completed his postgraduate studies in International Relation at the University of Cambridge.

Our party has, since its inception, believed in the capacity for education to do good. Menzies believed that education was a medium by which personal growth and social equality could be pursued whilst expanding the national economy. Through him universities were built, and the predecessor to the higher education contribution scheme was born through the Commonwealth scholarship scheme. We were the party that gave an opportunity to access tertiary education for those who were financially excluded from higher education.

Keith encapsulates this vision of Menzies; education was a medium for his personal growth and a pathway for his contribution to the betterment of society.

Keith has always worked to serve.

The modern Australian spirit is rooted in our understanding of war and of service, Keith acknowledges this, there was no greater honour than having an Australian flag on my shoulder and being responsible for 30 Australian souls. Keith is a veteran of three tours of Afghanistan and his service has been acknowledged through being awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service for his work with the ADF in 2009 and 2010.

Keith has worked as a barrister upon his return from service to his country. Wolahan was a member of a successful legal team that defended two commandos who had been accused of manslaughter in Afghanistan. In the wake of the Brereton report, I have faith that when Keith becomes an elected member in parliament, the reputation of our special forces will be restored and strengthened in ensuring that the Brereton report is acknowledged, and changes are enacted accordingly.

The values that attest to the strength of Keith Wolahan are the unifying ideals that bind us as one, these are values that we ought to be defending, these are the principles that make us Liberals. Keith has studied intensely, worked tirelessly and served continuously. These are the morals that guide me, and those that should inspire our movement.

On Sunday, 31 January 2021, Keith Wolahan was endorsed as the Liberal Party's candidate for the seat of Menzies at the next federal election.