Liberal MP Tim Smith to quit state politics after drink-driving ‘error’

Josh Frydenberg praised Tim Smith as a “dedicated and passionate member of the Liberal Party” following the MP’s decision to leave parliament.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has issued a statement supporting embattled Liberal MP Tim Smith following his resignation from shadow cabinet amid drink driving charges.

In a statement to his local constituents in Kooyong, many of whom also live in Mr Smith’s electorate of Kew, the treasurer described Mr Smith as “a dedicated and passionate member of the Liberal Party”.

“Tim has been a relentless and effective advocate in the Victorian parliament, holding the Andrews Government to account,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“Never has this been more important than during Melbourne’s extended lockdown, the longest in the world.

“From his first Parliamentary speech, he has championed the importance of individual liberty, the power of free markets and equality of opportunity as guiding Liberal principles.

“These principles are essential to the health and strength of our economy and society.

Mr Frydenberg said he will continue to “work cooperatively” with Mr Smith on behalf of the local community.

The treasurer previously said Mr Smith needed to do “a bit of soul searching” and “reflect on the words” of his state leader Matthew Guy.

Mr Frydenberg had previously refused to comment about Mr Smith’s political future after he crashed his car into a Hawthorn fence while more than two times the legal blood-alcohol limit.

Tim Smith with fellow Liberal politicians Matthew Guy and Josh Frydenberg

It comes as a business and legal heavyweight has emerged as the clear favourite to replace Mr Smith.

Jess Wilson, a Business Council of Australia adviser and former political staffer in Josh Frydenberg’s office, is being backed by senior Liberals including the federal Treasurer and has been described as “the future of the party”.

Late on Saturday, Mr Smith made the decision to quit politics at the 2022 election as polling being conducted in Kew showed a major swing against him, with just a third of voters saying he should remain in parliament.

RedBridge polling showed a 4 per cent swing against Mr Smith on a two-party-preferred basis and a 10 per cent drop in the Liberal Party’s primary vote since the last election.

Opposition leader Matthew Guy says disgraced Mr Smith deserves space as he attempts to move on from his late night drunken crash.

Speaking to ABC Radio on Monday afternoon, Mr Guy revealed he last spoke to Mr Smith a couple of days ago.

“He’s a friend of mine. I don’t intend to lay in to him. It’s a difficult scenario for anyone of his age. He’s a young man, he’s done something wrong, he’s admitted that and he wants to move on with his life,” he said.

“I don’t really wish to elaborate too much on what I said last week. I really want to give him some space, I think he deserves that.”

Tim Smith speaking to the media after his drink-driving crash last weekend. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Jess Wilson, a former adviser to Josh Frydenberg, is emerging as the favourite to replace Smith.

Mr Guy said it was Mr Smith’s crime - rather than his repeated public calls for politicians and public figures to resign - that ultimately saw his political career come to a crashing end.

“I think, obviously, the nature of the incident was my concern, and the nature of my consistency with other members of parliaments who had done the same,” he said.

Mr Guy maintained that his senior federal colleagues, Josh Frydenberg and Alan Tudge, had not undermined his leadership by failing to publicly condemn Mr Smith.

“I think the Feds were doing what I would do if circumstances were the same with a federal MP,” he said.

“I don’t think they are keen to get involved in state issues, and I am very keen not to be involved in federal issues. It works very well like that and I don’t wish to change that.”

If an election had been held at the weekend, the seat would have become ultra marginal and the Liberals would only have narrowly beat Labor 50.4 per cent to 49.6 per cent.

RedBridge director Kos ­Samaras said the polling, conducted from Thursday to Sunday, showed the Liberals were losing ground to independents and minor parties.

“The two-party-preferred vote makes this seat an ultra marginal seat,” he said. “The real danger for the Liberal Party is a high-profile independent candidate. Labor can still afford to lose support in the west, but for the Liberals, their safe seats are perilously close.”

The scene where Tim Smith’s car crashed in Hawthorn. Picture: Josie Hayden

Mr Smith, once touted as a future premier, was asked not to recontest next year’s election by Opposition Leader Matthew Guy after he crashed his Jaguar into a Hawthorn home after having “too many” wines and recording a blood ­alcohol reading of .131.

It is believed he had intended to defy Mr Guy’s demands but Liberal sources say his hand was forced after he lost the support of key federal Liberals.

Two “train wreck” media appearances, including a 70-minute press conference in which he repeatedly referred to himself as an “idiot”, are believed to have caused key backers to drop their support.

Mr Smith emailed local branch members at 12am on Sunday to announce his decision, surprising many of his party room colleagues.

He apologised for a “lapse of judgment” and said he was quitting in the “best interests of the party”.

It brought to an end a week of growing tension in the Liberal Party after MPs became increasingly frustrated with Mr Smith’s “refusal to see sense”.

“He was in a completely untenable situation, and he was starting to affect the whole brand,” one MP said.

Events leading to the October 30 crash have been the cause of much conjecture, sparked in part by Mr Smith’s contradictory statements.

In a statement the following day, he said he had been at a dinner with friends and didn’t think he was over the limit before hitting the road. He later said he had just “a couple” of wines before changing that to “quite a few glasses of wine”.

Sources close to the event rubbished those claims, saying Mr Smith had been “smashing cocktails” with a small group of people at the home of a prominent QC.

Emergency services at the crash scene last weekend. Picture: Olivia and Charlotte Neish

Mr Guy, who had told Mr Smith there would be no room for him on the frontbench of any government he led, said he supported the MP’s move.

“Tim Smith’s decision today to not renominate for his seat of Kew is no doubt an exceedingly hard one, but it’s an honourable one and one that I support,” he said.

“He has acknowledged that his actions one week ago were dangerous and wrong and he has paid an immense price for those actions.”

Nominations for preselection for the seat of Kew close on Friday. Liberals said it was hard to see anyone beating Ms Wilson, the daughter of former state Liberal MP Ron Wilson, for preselection.

“Tim was a relic of a bygone era, Jess is the future,” one senior Liberal said of Ms Wilson.

Stonnington councillor ­Alexander Lew is among those expected to challenge.

Originally published as Liberal MP Tim Smith to quit state politics after drink-driving ‘error’