The Victorian Liberal Party is very likely to change leaders, again, just a little more than 100 days out from the Victorian state election. Such is the depth of frustration and surprise at his ineptitude with media in recent days, that, in addition to his far left policies on climate, Matthew Guy is likely to be dumped just 11 months after he was reinstated as Opposition Leader.
It’s history repeating.
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Matthew Guy was the Opposition leader who so disasterously bungled the previous election. His wilting leadership saw him squibbing easy questions on Safe Schools in a televised debate as if The Guardian or other Labor/Green voters were going to vote for him if he was just politically correct enough. Already in Opposition, Matthew Guy caused the Liberals to lose 10 more seats in the Lower House, reducing the party to just 27 out of 88 possible seats.
Following his electoral thrashing in 2018, the party dumped Guy like a hot spud, forcing him to resign, and elected Michael O’Brien to bring them a welcome change. But in early September 2021, two thirds of Liberal MPs voted for a leadership spill and, like a dog returning to its vomit, Guy was returned to power unopposed.
In a startling, live interview with Tom Elliott on the popular Drive show on Melbourne’s 3AW this week, Matthew Guy steadfastly refused to give a straight answer to the simple question of whether or not he approved of Mitch Catlin, his chief of staff, asking a wealthy donor to pay more than $100,000 to his private business.
A leaked email revealed Guy’s now former chief of staff claimed the would-be Premier did approve of the deal.
The Liberal Opposition Leader sounded weak and indignant as he constantly repeated his non answer, that the proposed deal didn’t take place, which he said “should answer that question”. Reports suggest it was the businessman, not Matthew Guy, who killed the deal. Tom Elliott effectively humbled the suspiciously tricky MP by pointing out:
I still think it would do you great service if you could just say, ‘This is what I heard about it, and this is my reaction,’ and if you give the right answers there, it moves on. But the fact you won’t directly answer the questions is a very bad look, if I can be so bold.
This fiasco is on top of the state Liberal leader expecting to win a Victorian election by out-greening The Greens. Matthew Guy plans to legislate compulsory reduction in carbon dioxide generation in Victoria by half in less than eight years, a more radical climate policy than even Labor’s Anthony Albanese has dared dream might be feasible!
He took the extraordinary step of expelling the authentic conservative Bernie Finn from the Liberal Party, putting to bed once and for all any doubts his leadership had any room for free speech, even for popularly elected Members of Parliament, especially on the topic of abortion. Speaking from both sides of his mouth just a few weeks ago, he claimed the Liberal Party prides itself “on people having different points of view, having respectful discussions”.
Speaking exclusively to The Good Sauce, Bernie Finn MP observed:
The only thing more erratic than Matthew Guy’s leadership was Tim Smith’s drive home after a drinking session with his mates – and we know how that ended!The Victorian Liberals have a choice: they can dump Guy now or face a WA-style electoral Armageddon. They better move fast.
Senior Liberal sources have been leaking like a sieve, reporting that party members are surprised and upset about Matthew Guy’s climate policy. Additionally, insiders are murmuring that the leader made an error expelling Bernie Finn MP who was replaced by candidate Moira Deeming, an equally authentic Christian & conservative.
What’s shockingly ignorant is the Liberal Party used to welcome Christians and conservatives, and despite often actively blocking their membership, now routinely imagines them to be the reason they can’t win elections in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia or Queensland — despite those Liberal campaigns being defined by leftist leaders with decidely progressive policies.
Matthew Guy is certainly unable to prosecute a case for conservative government – because he doesn’t believe in it.
A drinking game where you drink every time you see Guy with another Liberal leader would leave everyone able to drive home sober and safe. He won’t be seen dead with Liberals if he has any choice in the matter lest he be considered guilty by association of common sense and traditional family values.
Matthew Guy is Victorian Liberal Party history, and if history is allowed to repeat, his party could only win Government by the sheer luck of enough Victorians finally having enough of Daniel Andrews. When the choice is between the unapologetic leftist you know, and the wilting progressive you don’t, most voters see no point in changing.
The Victorian Liberals have to reconsider their leader and his misguided policies if they want a chance in the coming election, and the numbers are being counted.
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