Michael O'Brien
Exclusive
Victorian Parliament
Coalition push to give police the power to break up protests
Dumped laws that allowed Victoria Police to break up protests will be back in parliament in a Coalition push to revive them in the wake of angry clashes over the Gaza conflict.
- by Annika Smethurst
Latest
‘We insult people’s intelligence’: The Liberal Party recriminations begin
Old, elite, out of touch, poorly organised, unpopular and devoid of fresh ideas. The criticisms of the Liberal Party after its election loss have just begun, and the harshest come from within the party itself.
- by Chip Le Grand and Paul Sakkal
Michael O’Brien to return to Matthew Guy’s frontbench in opposition reshuffle
The political comeback suggests former Liberal leader Mr O’Brien has made peace with Mr Guy, whose supporters voiced loud dissent during the Malvern MP’s leadership.
- by Paul Sakkal
Business Council director wins Kew preselection over shadow treasurer
Jess Wilson, a policy director at the Business Council of Australia, has been endorsed as the Victorian Liberal candidate for the seat of Kew, knocking out shadow treasurer David Davis in the final vote.
- by Rachel Eddie, Paul Sakkal and Sumeyya Ilanbey
Exclusive
Liberal Party
Victorian Liberals abandon push for gender quota
The Liberals have 31 MPs in State Parliament, seven of them women. But the push for quotas to increase female representation is not on the agenda at this weekend’s state council meeting.
- by Paul Sakkal
Five sitting Liberal MPs face fight for preselection and David Davis to vie for Kew
At least five sitting Liberal MPs will face preselection challenges, in what will lead to months of infighting as the opposition tries to refocus its sights on Premier Daniel Andrews.
- by Paul Sakkal and Annika Smethurst
Exclusive
LNP
Dumped Liberal leader Michael O’Brien facing preselection threat
Six weeks after losing the party leadership, the Malvern MP is facing another challenge, this time from a councillor aligned with former attorney-general Tim Smith.
- by Annika Smethurst
Updated
Political leadership
Returned Liberal leader Matthew Guy promises party reset, focus on pandemic recovery
Matthew Guy has declared a reset of the Victorian Liberal Party after toppling former leader Michael O’Brien, pledging to deliver unity, hope and positivity.
- by Sumeyya Ilanbey, Paul Sakkal and Annika Smethurst
Analysis
Liberal Party
Compare the pair: Libs set to ditch O’Brien, return to their go-to Guy
He may have suffered a crushing defeat at the 2018 state election but Matthew Guy can be a formidable opponent. He is also a bit of a charmer.
- by Annika Smethurst
Opinion
Political leadership
If Guy becomes Liberal leader, he will need to make some changes
Should Matthew Guy emerge victorious from the leadership challenge, he and the Victorian Liberal Party will need to evolve before next year’s election.
- by Paul Strangio
Opinion
Liberal Party
Matthew Guy, architect of a phone-box party, goes the reverse ferret
The man who led his party to a wipe-out in 2018 is now presenting himself as the Victorian Liberals’ new saviour. This is known as a “reverse ferret” strategy.
- by Tony Wright
Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/topic/michael-anthony-obrien-4cd