Jeff Kennett: Liberals need big changes at the top

As Labor romped home in the Victorian state election on Saturday night Jeff Kennett made headlines by calling for Liberal president Michael Kroger’s head. Today he explains himself.

The election has come and gone. I feel no pain.

Yes, I am disappointed that my team was soundly beaten and many good people were lost to public service.

But I accept that voters get it right.

There’s nothing unusual about that as we saw in 1996 when this great state re-elected my first term government and in 2002 when they overwhelmingly returned the Bracks government.

Voters prefer not to displace one-term governments.

They prefer order and certainty.

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Of course, there are raw ramifications for the Liberal Party in Victoria and the party federally.

I believe, and still deeply believe, in the fundamental tenets behind the creation and deliberate naming of the Liberal Party by Robert Menzies.

At its centre is the supremacy of the individual and the private sector to best meet the many needs of the vulnerable and those forgotten, and to encourage a prosperous, open economy.

The best the Liberal Party can offer is to be economically conservative in how it manages the taxes you pay, but to be socially liberal, humane and generous.

The challenge for the Andrews team is to be free of hubris and not saddle the state with a level of debt we cannot afford. Picture: AAP

Political parties lose elections and then historically rebuild.

The Liberal Party did that after the Labor years of Rudd and Gillard in Canberra, as the Labor Party is rebuilding after the Liberal years of Abbott and Turnbull.

In Victoria, the Liberal Party rebuilt after the Cain and Kirner years as did Labor after my term in government.

Labor did the same after premiers Napthine and Baillieu.

Governments inevitably are defeated because of their own mistakes or hubris.

Oppositions rarely win government because of what they offer.

The challenge for the Andrews team is to be free of hubris and not saddle the state with a level of debt we cannot afford.

The government has started with vigour and no nonsense, announcing the progression of new and necessary infrastructure projects.

I fully expect Daniel Andrews will continue to get the balance right.

But he knows well that four years is a long time when economic circumstances could quickly change, or events intervene, derailing programs and increasing our debt.

For the Liberal Party, it is the time and place to reassess and realign. It’s not time to surrender core beliefs.

Its central task is to grasp and understand the changing community attitudes and expectations. In a nutshell, the Liberal Party must remain an open, transparent and socially generous institution.

As an example, its decision to close the Medically Supervised Injecting Room.

Michael Kroger no represents the old, battle-scarred warrior. Picture: David Caird

Facility if elected was ill-conceived and wrong.

It sent an unambiguous message that the party did not grasp that so many of our children are losing the shocking battle with drugs and that we must try a different approach.

We must care for every citizen equally.

Liberal core values are young at heart.

They don’t change in substance or intent but are subject to redefining as society becomes more tolerant.

It is why the vexed issue of immigration should be addressed as an issue of management rather than one of exclusion.

We are a country of immigrants with a wonderful multicultural vibe.

Accept the fact and manage change.

To Matthew Guy’s credit, it was an issue he articulated but he did not get the cut-through he deserved.

AFTER such a defeat, people of the past, whatever their role or their commitment, must move aside to allow new flowers to bloom.

Guy is not of the past.

He is young, well-educated, with strong core beliefs and will have learnt a great deal from this campaign.

He should continue as leader of the party.

We all learn from experience.

But the party president must take stock.

Michael Kroger was an excellent contributor when he was first president of the party — committed, tireless and successful.

But now he represents the old, battle-scarred warrior.

He can sometimes be an intimidating force, and I believe he has made some shocking decisions in the past 12 months, none of which helped his parliamentary team nor the party he leads.

But the membership of the party wants a new start.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison should thank Michael Kroger for his service, but simply tell him his time is up. Picture: Kym Smith

Kroger wants to stay until his term ends in March.

That will be maybe two months before a critical federal election.

The grassroots wants new leadership and clear air with no distractions and it wants that now.

Kroger should accept that his leadership is no longer relevant.

He should resign immediately. If not, his stubborn resistance will cast a dim light on the federal election result in May, just as it did last Saturday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison — who I believe in — as the first Prime Minister in over a decade to assume the position without knifing their leader in the back, and Josh Frydenberg, as the senior Victorian Federal MP, should thank him for his service, but simply tell Kroger his time is up.

Move on, Michael, for the sake of your party.

Not only do political parties have to be relevant, they must be modern. The Andrews Government is both and I hope for all our sakes it governs well. But all governments eventually fall to the wishes of voters.

The Liberal Party must be ready to offer a positive, visionary and genuinely Liberal voice and agenda that fits the times.

The rebuilding should start today and start at the very top. It’s time for clear air — no excuses, no distractions.

Have a good day.

Jeff Kennett is a former premier of Victoria

@jeff_kennett