Victorian Liberals at war with each other | 7.30

Key Concepts:

• Victorian Labor Government Challenges: Debt, health system overload, crime, project cost overruns (e.g., SRL).
• Victorian Political Landscape: Labor's vulnerability, public dissatisfaction with both Labor and Liberals.
• Liberal Party Internal Conflicts: Moira Deeming controversy, leadership challenge, court challenge over loan to John Pesutto.
• Liberal Party's Image Problem: Division, focus on internal matters, difficulty presenting a unified front.
• Liberal Party's Historical Context: Long period in opposition, potential for careerism.
• Importance of Unity and Focus: Need for the Liberal Party to unite, focus on policy, and present a viable alternative to Labor.

1. Victoria's Labor Government Challenges:

• The Victorian Labor government, led by Premier Jacinta Allan, faces significant challenges, including a soaring debt, an overloaded health system, concerns about crime, and mega-projects with substantial cost overruns.
• The Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) is estimated to cost taxpayers $200 billion to complete, highlighting the scale of the financial burden.

2. Victorian Political Landscape:

• Despite these challenges, Labor is aiming for its fourth consecutive election win.
• A recent poll indicates that nearly 60% of Victorian voters do not believe Labor deserves another term.
• However, a similar number also do not believe the opposition Liberals are prepared to govern, indicating a lack of confidence in both parties.

3. Liberal Party Internal Conflicts:

• The Liberal Party has been plagued by internal divisions, particularly following the Moira Deeming controversy.
• Moira Deeming attended the "Let Women Speak" rally in March 2023, which was characterized as an anti-trans rights rally and attracted far-right neo-Nazi protesters.
• Then Liberal leader John Pesutto implied Deeming was associated with the neo-Nazis, leading to a motion to expel her from the Liberal Parliamentary Party room.
• This motion created two factions within the party: those who believed Deeming was unfairly targeted and those who supported their leader.
• Deeming sued Pesutto for defamation and won, costing him the leadership, which he lost to Brad Battin in December.
• Pesutto faced bankruptcy over legal costs, which would have resulted in him losing his seat in parliament.
• The administrative committee narrowly voted to loan him more than $1.5 million.
• Some members of the admin committee challenged the loan in the Supreme Court, naming 18 defendants, including Liberal leader Brad Battin.

4. Liberal Party's Image Problem:

• The internal conflicts and court challenges have made it difficult for the Liberal Party to focus on policy and present a unified front.
• Liberal leader Brad Battin's attempts to talk about policy are often "drowned out by that internal warfare."
• Colleen Harkin, one of the committee members behind the court challenge, stated that sometimes "you actually have to sometimes go through the blowups in order to work out who you are and what you stand for."

5. Liberal Party's Historical Context:

• The Liberals have been in opposition for over 40 years, with only 11 years in government since 1982.
• Terry Barnes, a former Liberal adviser, believes that too many in the party have lost sight of the primary goal, which is winning elections.
• He suggests that some members have become "careerists" who are content with simply banking their MP's salary without actively working to win government.

6. Importance of Unity and Focus:

• Jeff Kennett, one of only two people to lead the Liberals to victory from opposition in the last 60 years, expressed frustration with the party's current state.
• He emphasized the need for the party to resolve its internal conflicts quickly and focus on presenting itself as a unified force and an effective opposition.
• Kennett questioned whether the Liberal Party or the state of Victoria was more important, highlighting the need for the party to prioritize the interests of the state over internal squabbles.
• Brad Batten stated that "The only way to convince him is not to stand here and talk about ourselves."

7. Synthesis/Conclusion:

The Victorian Liberal Party faces a critical juncture. While the Labor government is vulnerable due to various challenges, the Liberals are struggling to capitalize on this opportunity due to internal conflicts and a lack of unity. The party must resolve its internal disputes, focus on policy, and present a credible alternative to Labor if it hopes to win the next election. The future of the party, and potentially the state of Victoria, depends on it.