Victorian shadow treasurer James Newbury has blamed the federal Liberal Party’s failure to heed the message voters sent when they turfed out the Morrison government in 2022 for this year’s disastrous election rout.

In Victoria, the Liberals won just five out of 36 lower house seats after failing to capitalise on the Allan Labor government’s growing unpopularity. A blame game has now emerged over who is responsible for the party’s damaged brand in the country’s second-largest state.