Inside Victorian Liberals’ ‘waste of time’ three-day retreat

Aimed at drafting a way to dethrone Daniel Andrews, the Opposition’s three-day love-in was instead described by mutineers as a talkfest that got nowhere.

Richard Riordan, Matthew Guy, David Southwick, David Davis (front), Tim Bull (middle back) and Matthew Bach leave the Westernport Marina in Hastings Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

The Victorian Liberal party’s newest member, upper house MP Matthew Bach, said he didn’t know who he was on the boat with for a fishing trip at the Coalition’s three-day love-in.

“I’m not much of a fisherman” said Bach but it’s Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien who may find himself thrown overboard before the state election next year.

O’Brien’s boat could be close to capsizing it’s so full of leaks.

The three-day love-in was being described by mutineers as a talkfest that got nowhere, a waste of time and variously described in words too rude for even this column.

Forget the fishing expedition. Some MPs were wondering why O’Brien chose the prestigious Moonah Links golf club as the venue.

The once safe seat of Nepean seat went underwater in the shock election loss to Labor in 2018.

The Nepean and Hawthorn seats are seen as vital for the Liberal Party if they want to have any chance of regaining power and Page 13 hears some fresh blood is being approached.

Also O’Brien likes his golf.

Opposition leader Michael O'Brien and Roma Britnell leave the Westernport Marina in Hastings after spending the morning aboard a fishing charter boat during a Victorian LNP conference Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

Michael O'Brien at the Moonah Links Golf Course ahead of the three-day day LNP conference. Aaron Francis/The Australian

But his detractors say the gab-fest “went around in circles.”

When snappers from The Australian popped up to see who was on on-board for the fishing trip several MPs flatly refused to walk the plank.

“When the cameras turned up basically everyone was accusing each other of leaking,” said one senior Victorian Liberal insider.

The love-in was supposed to be a secret tryst to come up with a plan to knock off Dan Andrews.

Coalition MPs were asked for their ideas on moving the party forward under the struggling skipper.

Member for the eastern metropolitan region, Matthew Bach arrives at the Moonah Links Golf Course Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

But who to replace the struggling O’Brien? No one is putting their hand up, fearing they will end up as fish bait. Could Peta Credlin be the fish out of water? Or could the Victorian Liberals do what Campbell Newman did in Queensland and secure someone from outside the party to lead in either Hawthorn or Nepean?

But Page 13 has been told in no uncertain terms the Opposition Leader is in danger of going under.

Who will throw him a life preserver? Not the growing crew of mutineers.

High seas ahead, matey!