Jeff Kennett calls for Michael Kroger to step down over ‘appalling leadership’

Former Victorian Premier calls on Liberal state president Michael Kroger to resign before midnight following election landslide.

Josh Frydenberg, Michael Kroger and Jeff Kennett at the Liberal Party election launch at the Ivanhoe Centre in October. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Former Victorian liberal premier Jeff Kennett has called for Michael Kroger to stand down tonight as Victorian Liberal Party president.

Reacting to an apparent landslide victory for the ALP in the state election, Mr Kennett was asked if Opposition Leader Matthew Guy should resign.

Instead, Mr Kennett told 7 News Melbourne’s election panel: “If there is one person who should stand down tonight, it is Michael Kroger.

“He should stand down before the clock strikes twelve, because I think his leadership of the party over recent times has been appalling.”

Jeff Kennett has called Michael Kroger’s leadership ‘appalling’. Picture: Hollie Adams

“And his decision to fight the foundation that supported the party for years, was untenable. It was very distracting for Matthew (Guy), it cost us a lot of money unnecessarily.

“So Michael, if you’re listening, it’s 8:20, by midnight, I hope your resignation is on the floor.”

“I’m not blaming him for the loss, I’m blaming him for the actions he’s taken in the last few months in particular.”

Mr Kroger said it was not uncommon for Mr Kennett to call for people to resign.

“Jeff regularly calls on others to resign. I wish him well,” Mr Kroger told Sky News.

“The organisation does whatever it can to support the party. But of course it’s a collective responsibility, Matthew Guy, the parliamentary team, the president, everybody.

“To try and get one person and say that person should go, that’s nonsense.”

Victoria Votes 2018: Speaking on @Channel7, @jeff_kennett calls on @KrogerMichael to resign as state President in the wake of a disastrous result for @LiberalVictoria. https://t.co/6Q6nMSyeNl #VicVotes #7News pic.twitter.com/QNu55okGVK

— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) November 24, 2018

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg backed Mr Kroger.

“(He) is the elected president of the Liberal party ... and as for what he does at the next state council (meeting) ... is a matter for him,” Mr Frydenberg told ABC TV.

“I don’t think we want to point the finger at any one person.” Shadow Attorney-General John Pesutto, who is likely to lose his seat of Hawthorn, told ABC the party needed to regroup.

“We clearly have to do a root and branch review. We shouldn’t be in this position,” he said “We did a lot of things right but obviously something has gone horribly wrong.”

Liberal member for Kew Tim Smith pointed the finger squarely at the party’s federal counterparts.

“When you’ve got federal politicians talking about themselves and their various ambitions that hasn’t helped our party like it didn’t help Labor during the Rudd-Gillard years and that’s damage that we at the state level have to deal with,” he said.

Mr Kroger launched legal action this year seeking greater control of the Cormack Foundation, the Liberal Party’s key fund raising arm.

There was a protracted legal dispute, that was heard in the Federal Court.

Even after the court’s decision on the make-up of the board and the control of foundation, a resolution allowing funds to flow to the state party had to be brokered by key liberals, including Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and former prime minister John Howard.