Leadership showdown at Victorian Liberals’ State Council

LIBERAL heavyweight Michael Kroger has survived a challenge to his presidency of the state party.

LIBERAL heavyweight Michael Kroger has survived a challenge to his presidency of the state party.

Mr Kroger won the vote in a brutal campaign that had caused tensions in the party.

State director Nick Demiris used his speech to call for unity following a bitter presidential election campaign.

“Leave the internal noise on the internal playing field,” he said.

RELATED: KROGER IN FIGHT FOR LIBS’ PRESIDENCY

LIBERALS ARE LINING UP FOR A REAL SCRAP

TERRY MCCRANN: KROGER WASTES $3M, SEEKS RE-ELECTION

Michael Kroger leaves court last month as the Victorian Liberal Party fights the Cormack Foundation. Picture: David Geraghty

The challenge to Mr Kroger came from Vice President Greg Hannan. He has now stepped aside.

A lawsuit against the Liberal Party’s major donor, the Cormack Foundation, has been at the centre of a feud in the Liberal Party.

Mr Kroger has taken the Cormack Foundation to court to seek control of the independent fund, which has poured millions into the Liberal Party for decades.

A decision on the case will come down after today’s vote but legal bills will total up to $3 million.

The party has also been in dispute about the future of its headquarters at 104 Exhibition St, with some talk of it being sold.

Treasurer Russell Hannan told the Liberal faithful the building had been “under utilised” and that rent receipts had increased to $1.3 million in 2018, up from $810,000 in 2016.

Mr Hannan, who took over from disgraced former director Damien Mantach, said the party was rebuilding its finances.

Marcus Bastiaan and Michael Kroger. Picture: Supplied

“There was a complete lack of oversight and accountability during the Mantach affair that shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” he said.

Earlier, hundreds had lined up to attend the state conference at Melbourne Park.

Union protesters were heckling from the sidelines with a giant inflatable yabby, holding posters about “Matthew Guy’s recipe for electoral defeat.”

One insider said a Kroger loss, even by a slim margin, would “signal the end of the old-school Liberal Party powerbroker”.

Liberal sources say some of the groups vying for more power were highly organised and were marshalling their troops to get to the annual meeting early.

This led to concerns that delegate registrations would close in the morning, blocking members who arrived later from voting on crucial issues.

But a Liberal Party spokesman said: “Delegate registrations for State Council open at 7.30am and will remain open all day, as at every previous State Council”.

One source told the Herald Sun that “it would have been horrendous” if registrations were cut early.

“Had the rumours been true, members would have been very vocal,” the source said.

A number of other key Administrative Committee positions that could help sway the party’s direction, including its vice presidents, will also be decided.

Kroger-aligned Marcus Bastiaan and state administrative committee member Ian Quick are both in the running.

Liberal leader Matthew Guy addressed the council, where members will also vote on a number of policy decisions.

[e-mail]
@moniquehore

MORE HERALD SUN NEWS: RIFLES DRAWN DURING MELBOURNE CBD ARREST

‘TERRORIST MAN’ COSTUME FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE STORE

BANKING ROYAL COMMISSION: AMP COULD FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES