Tim Smith warns voters are disillusioned with Liberal Party

Outgoing Liberal MP Tim Smith has revealed why the party is struggling to entice voters, and what really went down in the aftermath of his drunken crash.

Outgoing Liberal MP Tim Smith says the Liberal Party has made no progress since its landslide loss in 2018.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Herald Sun, Mr Smith said voters were disillusioned with the Liberal Party amid the latest Newspoll results showing Labor held a 56-44 per cent two-party-­preferred lead.

“You can’t sugar-coat Saturday’s newspoll,” he said.

“It means that we haven’t shifted the dial an inch since the 2018 election, which to me hundreds of thousands of Victorian voters would find profoundly disappointing.

“It shows to me that our base is very, very, very disappointed with us.”

Mr Smith, who is leaving politics after a drunken crash into a Hawthorn fence after which he recorded a blood-alcohol level more than two times the legal limit, has also opened up on the circumstances of his departure from Spring St.

He claimed he was sacked over the crash by Mr Guy after the Liberal leader had earlier encouraged him to stay in politics.

He said Mr Guy sacked him at a press conference and he was “kicked in the guts and profoundly shocked by the way I was treated” by Mr Guy following the incident.

“I take full responsibility for what I did,” he said.

“I offered to resign immediately on the Saturday night and on the Sunday, but others had separate agendas.

“I owned up to my behaviour, I apologised and even offered to go.”

Tim Smith relaxing at Blairgowrie. Picture: Rob Leeson

Mr Smith said he was told to stay by Mr Guy and other senior Liberals and he had “no knowledge” that he would then be sacked until he watched Mr Guy’s live televised press conference on Cup Day.

“The relationship breakdown has been very disappointing, he was a very dearly close friend and he didn’t show the loyalty that I showed him,” Mr Smith said.

“But I do wish Matthew all the best in the upcoming state election.”

He admitted he also learned about former Labor minister Jane Garrett’s cancer returning on the night of the crash.

Ms Garrett lost her battle with cancer this year, aged 49.

“Some disgraceful individuals are trying to say that I was trying to blame a woman’s death (for) my own stupid behaviour but it’s nothing of the sort. I take full responsibility for what I did.

“I knew in all likelihood that I wouldn’t see her again and that was one of the reasons why I left the property, that I was at in such a hurry.”

Mr Smith said his party could only regain its confidence with voters if it developed a “strong narrative” on the economy and the cost of living.

“We need fewer cowards, fewer careerists, more true believers and more people with courage and that applies not just to policy, but the way that we stand by each other when times are difficult.”

He revealed he would like to keep working in politics and was “open” to working as a policy adviser.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has spoken out on the loss of his friendship with Kew MP Tim Smith following Smith’s claim that Guy privately urged him to stay in parliament before sacking him via press conference after a drunken crash into a Hawthorn fence.

Mr Guy has responded to Smith’s claims on Sunday, Guy stands by his conversation with Smith “I went through so many media conferences at that time [and] answered everything.”

Asked if he told the MP to resign, the Coalition leader said “I went through this chapter and verse 12 months ago. What I said then is what I believe.”

“It’s a loss of friendship for me, I am not going to go over conversations from 12 months ago, you can say many things about Tim but I got along with Tim very very well.”

“He is not a liar, he is a good person. I am very sad I lost a friendship out of that.”

“Tim is not a bad person at heart”

Smith comes out swinging in ugly Libs stoush

Liberal MP Tim Smith has hit back at his soon-to-be successor after she criticised the outgoing parliamentarian as not representing “the views of the [Kew] electorate”.

Jess Wilson, the Liberals’ Kew candidate for the upcoming state election in November, did not hold back in her criticism of Smith during an interview on Friday.

Wilson, who is a former director at the Business Council of Australia and adviser to former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, said Smith would not be missed by his electorate.

“When I’m talking to voters in Kew every day, it comes up that people are relieved that the current member is not continuing,” Ms Wilson said.

“Tim does not represent the views of the electorate and he does not represent my views.”

Liberal Tim Smith. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Jess Wilson says people are relieved that the current member, Tim Smith, is not continuing.

Mr Tim Smith came out swinging on Saturday morning saying said Ms Wilson was a “mere imitation” of the government she was trying to defeat.

“I fear the Liberal candidate of Kew is trying to out Green the Greens, out teal the teals, and out Labor the Labor party - to try and win the seat,” he said.

“I just hope she frankly does a lot better than the campaign she was running for Frydenberg.”

The electorate of Kew is part of the federal seat of Kooyong, a seat once held by Robert Menzies Andrew Peacock.

Once a blue seat, Kooyong is now held by independent Monique Ryan after she defeated sitting member Josh Frydenberg in the May federal election - as part of the teal wave which swept the country.

Mr Smith dismissed Ms Wilson’s criticism that he was out of touch with the electorate, arguing he still commanded support from the majority of voters.

“I’m the only lower house Liberal within the federal seat of Kooyong as we speak, where the party was founded,” he said.

“I know there are people in the electorate who frankly profoundly disagree with me on every issue but there are a lot of people who have completely agreed with me throughout the pandemic and my last eight years in parliament.”

“Love me or loathe me, people knew where I stood on every issue.”

Mr Smith also hit back at claims from one senior Liberal MP that he was deliberately trying to sabotage Ms Wilson’s campaign.

“I refute that in its entirety,” he said. “It doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny, I have stayed completely out of Jess’ way. I have not commented on anything locally, I have not got her way in regards to campaigning.”

Once touted as a future leader of the party, Smith was forced to resign from politics after he drunkenly crashed his six-week old Jaguar into a Hawthorn home in November last year.

But Ms Wilson has said she is “focused on working with the people of Kew to deal with the big issues; whether that’s the healthcare crisis, whether that’s mental health problems in our schools, whether that’s climate change or integrity”.

Her remarks follow the announcement of project manager Sophie Torney as the new “teal” candidate for the seat, who is campaigning on stronger climate action and political integrity.

Teals unveil Kew candidate to take on Libs

A “TEAL” independent candidate has been unveiled for the seat of Kew at the state election as an intriguing three-way battle to replace Liberal MP Tim Smith takes shape.

Sophie Torney. Picture: LinkedIn

The Kew Independents, aligned to Monique Ryan’s successful Voices of Kooyong campaign, has appointed experienced project manager Sophie Torney to contest the November election.

Ms Torney, who was president of the MLC Parents’ Association for two years until late 2019, will run against former Liberals staffer Jess Wilson, nominated to replace Mr Smith, and Labor candidate Lucy Skelton.

“Kew deserves a representative focused on political integrity, climate action and a stronger economy,” Ms Torney said.

“These are all priorities the people of Kew have told us they want action on.”

It comes days after former Bayside mayor Clarke Martin announced he would launch a third attempt running as an independent in Sandringham, this time with the backing of a Voices of Goldstein splinter group who helped Zoe Daniel to a federal election victory.

— additional reporting by Mitch Ryan and Ed Bourke