Relationship between Victorian and national Liberals becoming bitter

A growing rift between state and federal Liberals has been kept from the public, but now a text message reveals how deep the divide runs.

A leaked text message exchange has revealed the bitter split between Victorian Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien and his federal colleagues.

A leaked text message has revealed a bitter split between Victorian Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien and his federal colleagues as he blasted their move to rip up Victoria’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Despite publicly supporting the federal government’s new laws giving it power to veto deals between state governments and foreign powers, Mr O’Brien late last year sent a WhatsApp message to some state colleagues taking aim at the national members.

“Either they kill the BRI and remove a state election issue or they don’t kill it which undermines our campaign,” Mr O’Brien wrote to the group. “Either way the Feds look after themselves at our expense again.”

The remark was in response to other state MPs complaining the federal government was capitalising on the unpopularity of the Victorian government’s Belt and Road deal with China.

Sources revealed the relationship between the Victorian Liberals and the federal Liberals has become increasingly bitter.

A federal government source said “the national government’s responsibility is our national security and we take that role very seriously”.

Leader of Victorian Liberal Party, Michael O'Brien voiced his anger at his national counterparts move.

A spokesman for Mr O’Brien said: “Federal legislation passed late in 2020 may or may not affect the Belt and Road deal, but the Victorian Liberals’ position is clear — Belt and Road is a bad deal for Victoria.

“Regardless of any federal government action, the Victorian community can be confident that the Victorian Liberals and Nationals are opposed to Labor’s job-costing Belt and Road deal.”

The growing rift between state and federal Liberals has been largely known in political circles for sometime but not publicly acknowledged.

In December, when the federal government’s foreign relations bill passed parliament Mr O’Brien spoke in favour of it, but was reportedly “canning” his federal colleagues behind the scenes.

Victorian MPs have accused Scott Morrison of capitalising on the unpopularity of the Victorian Government’s Belt and Road deal with China.

At the time Mr O’Brien was also wrestling with some unrest among state MPs about his leadership.

A party room meeting was held over the Liberal’s diminishing popularity among voters but was then deemed a “fizzer” as Mr O’Brien’s leadership was not challenged.

Liberal party members are agitating again, although it has been widely acknowledged Mr O’Brien’s leadership would not be challenged without a clear replacement.