Tim Smith retires from parliament with brief speech, no mention of Matthew Guy

Retiring Liberal MP Tim Smith has farewelled parliament, with a brief statement — and no mention of party leader Matthew Guy.

Retiring MP Tim Smith has farewelled parliament, with a brief statement lasting just 90 seconds.

Smith announced he would not recontest the seat of Kew last year in the fallout of his drunken car crash.

While more than a dozen retiring MPs made lengthy valedictory speeches, Smith’s exit from parliament was brief.

Almost the entire speech was used to thank people who had helped him in his political career.

Notably, there was no mention of Liberal Party leader Matthew Guy who Smith helped back into the top job.

Tim Smith helped Liberal Party leader Matthew Guy back into the top job.

The once close pair have fallen out amid claims Guy reneged on a promise to help save Smith’s career.

Smith thanked the electors of Kew, his family, the Liberal Party and federal colleagues.

He also made special mention of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and former foreign minister Alexander Downer who is understood to have helped Smith navigate a career post politics.

Victorian Liberal MPs David Hodgett, Bill Tilley, Matt Bach and Bec McArthur were all singled out.

“The existential threat to the world is not climate change; it is the regimes in Tehran, Moscow and Beijing,” Smith said.

“With the time that I have left, I fear that our country’s best days are behind us, not in front of us.

“As Churchill said, I feel we are going to once again have to arm ourselves, ‘be ye men of valour’ and stand for what we know is right: truth, justice and freedom.”

Tim Smith has represented the electorate of Kew since 2014. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Several Liberal Party sources said Smith planned to head to the UK in coming weeks.

He has not ruled out a return to parliament, and says he still harbours hopes of a career in politics.

He made the decision to quit politics at the 2022 election in the fallout of the October 30 crash in which he smashed his Jaguar into a Hawthorn property and recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.131.

He has represented the electorate of Kew since 2014 and was shadow Attorney-General at the time of this crash.

Jess Wilson, a Business Council of Australia adviser and former political staffer in Josh Frydenberg’s office, has been preselected to contest the blue-riband seat.

The Victorian Parliament sat for the last time ahead of November’s election on Wednesday.