Albury, Wagga Coalition MPs on new Liberal leader Mark Speakman

The attorney-general in the government which lost the state election in March won a vote in Sydney on April 21 to head the party as NSW Opposition leader.

Mr Speakman beat former planning minister Anthony Roberts 22 votes to 13.

Liberal MP for Albury Justin Clancy declined to say who he voted for, but welcomed the elevation of Mr Speakman.

"Mark is someone very considerate," Mr Clancy said.

"He comes with a strong background in the law at a high level, he's a senior counsel, he's someone well considered who will give good examination to issues and he has a strong conscience."

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To underline that last point, Mr Clancy pointed to Mr Speakman successfully pushing for NSW to become the first state to make coercive control a stand-alone offence to protect victims of domestic violence.

Mr Speakman visited Albury to multiple times to announce and then unveil a $6.4 million upgrade of the city's court house.

"He takes a strong interest in Albury and understands regional communities and that bodes well," Mr Clancy said of the MP for Cronulla in Sydney's south.

The Wagga-based Nationals Upper House MP Wes Fang lauded Mr Speakman who worked with closely while chairing a parliamentary committee on law and justice.

"Obviously the Liberal leadership is a question for Liberal members but I can say from a personal perspective that Mark Speakman, or Speako as we call him, is a man of high integrity and enormous intellect but also very approachable," Mr Fang said in the wake of yesterday's vote.

"He will be a safe set of hands for the Liberal Party."

Mr Speakman will now consult his Nationals counterpart Paul Toole to discuss an updated Coalition agreement and the shape of a shadow ministry.

That group, which may include Mr Clancy, should be finalised before parliament opens under the new Labor government on May 9.

As acting Legislative Council president, Mr Fang has been at the centre of preparations.

He will relinquish the role when the new Upper House sits.

Joining Mr Fang on the red benches will be former Albury deputy mayor Amanda Cohn who won her place through the Greens party.

She was assured of victory soon after the March 25 poll but her place was confirmed with the distribution of preferences on Wednesday in Sydney.

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