Face Off podcast: Inside the last days of Jeff Kennett
Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks had a change of heart on industrial manslaughter laws, the Herald Sun can reveal, as the former leader faces off with the man he replaced in the top job. NEW PODCAST LISTEN NOW
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Steve Bracks says he shelved industrial manslaughter laws when premier because of the impact on business and industry but “time has moved on” and he now backs reforms.
The Herald Sun can reveal the former Labor leader’s change of heart in the week Attorney-General Jill Hennessy introduced state legislation that could see negligent bosses hit with 20 year jail terms.
Mr Bracks was discussing his government’s first term policies with the man he replaced as premier, Jeff Kennett, during the latest episode of the new podcast series Face Off.
It is the first time the two political giants have reunited to discuss the bombshell 1999 state election.
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Mr Kennett revealed that he was approached “a couple of times” to return to the top job in the party after the election defeat, including in 2006.
In that year he was urged to take the helm when Robert Doyle pulled the pin but after a conversation with Ted Baillieu he decided against resurrecting his political career.
Former deputy Liberal leader Louise Asher said there was never a seat available for Mr Kennett to make a return but that didn’t stop people egging him on.
One of the independent MPs that helped to install Mr Bracks as premier, Russell Savage, recalled how the Liberal leadership was trying anything to stay in power after the 1999 election, while parties were waiting for the result of the Frankston East supplementary election.
He said one scheme floated early on was to swear in a new Cabinet, even though the coalition hadn’t formed government.
“I knew enough about it to know that if there’s a motion of no confidence (in parliament) we go back to the polls, it’s not about handing the reins over to someone else,” Mr Savage said.
Mr Savage said he relayed his position to the Governor’s secretary Sir Charles Curwen, who later told him at a function: “you should write a book”.
Mr Bracks said Labor’s decision to keep much of Mr Kennett’s agenda, including by not rescinding privatisations, was significant for the party.
“It was really taking that economic policy, and say we’re going to continue that — and that changed the Labor Party — but still being able to give back a dividend by delivering social policy,” he said.
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But he said after indicating he would bring in industrial manslaughter laws: “I dumped that because I saw the affect that would have on business and industry”.
When asked whether he still held such concerns — raised by business groups this week as the Andrews Government resurrected the laws — the former Labor leader said “no”.
“I think time has moved on, I think it’s in two or three states now isn’t it?” he said.
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Originally published as Face Off podcast: Inside the last days of Jeff Kennett