The director of neurology at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne will try and unseat Treasurer Josh Frydenberg at the next election in 2022.

Dr Monique Ryan will run as an independent in the inner Melbourne seat of Kooyong, which Mr Frydenberg holds on a five per cent margin after a more than eight per cent swing against him at the 2019 election.

Dr Ryan said she put her hand up to run because she couldn’t stand on the sidelines any longer while the government continued to vote with Barnaby Joyce against climate action.

“Every day I go to work and make difficult decisions to help Australian children. Is it too much to ask our government to do the same?” she said.

“As a woman, a mother, and a doctor whose job it is to protect our children, I can’t stand it any more.”

Her campaign will have the backing of local volunteer group Kooyong Independents.