Federal election 2016: Kroger’s Greens deal backed by Lib MPs

Michael Kroger has received backing from even the most conservative MPs in Victoria for his deal with the Greens.

Michael Kroger has suggested the Liberals might direct preferences in the inner-Melbourne seats of Wills and Batman to the Greens. Picture: Mark Stewart.

Despite lukewarm enthusiasm from Tony Nutt and outright ­hostility from Eric Abetz, Michael Kroger has received backing from even the most conservative federal MPs in Victoria for his deal with the Greens.

One deeply conservative federal Liberal MP, not a close supporter of the Victorian Liberal president, gave the deal his imprimatur yesterday.

“I f..king hate the Greens but I am backing Michael Kroger 100 per cent. Every paid unionist they have running around in Batman is one that’s not running around in my seat,’’ said the MP, who declined to be named.

Liberal elder and former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, a Kroger adversary, ­appeared to give the deal his tacit blessing. “I don’t have a strong view,’’ he said. “I understand what we have done in the past, but circumstances change and everyone has to be flexible.”

Most Victorian Liberals The Australian has spoken to on the deal have come down on the side of pragmatism rather than principle, saying if it distracts Labor, the deal is worth it. “I didn’t join the Liberal Party to elect Greens, but I recognised Michael Kroger’s desire to have Labor fighting the Greens in the inner city,’’ one said. “The only thing I would say is that the Greens’ open ticket is of very dubious value to us.”

Under the deal being contemplated, the Liberals would ­direct preferences in the inner-Melbourne seats of Wills and Batman to the Greens. In return, the Greens would stop directing preferences to the ALP over the Liberals in a clutch of suburban marginals and issue open tickets.

In the latest version of the deal, Wills could be excluded from the arrangement in exchange for the ALP directing its preferences to help the Liberal Party win the three-cornered contest against the Nationals in the seat of Murray in the north of the state.