John Roskam misses Liberal Party preselection for Victoria seat

INSTITUTE of Public Affairs chief John Roskam has failed to win endorsement for a prized Liberal Party seat in Victoria.

INSTITUTE of Public Affairs executive director John Roskam’s political aspirations all but died tonight when he failed to win endorsement for the Liberal Party’s most revered state seat in Victoria.

A concerted campaign by forces loyal to former premier Ted Baillieu blocked Mr Roskam’s attempt to win endorsement for the inner eastern Melbourne seat of Hawthorn, which will become vacant on November 29 after Mr Baillieu’s retirement was announced last month.

Mr Roskam was defeated by Premier Denis Napthine’s legal counsel John Pesutto, who narrowly failed in a recent bid to win the prized federal seat of Kooyong.

Mr Baillieu was initially reported to be backing Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge but appears to have shifted allegiances to Mr Pesutto, despite not returning his calls at the start of the preselection campaign, according to informed sources.

Mr Pesutto has been a close ally of Mr Baillieu’s for the past 20 years and politically active in the Hawthorn electorate, which has a margin of nearly 17 per cent.

The defeat of Mr Roskam will be seen as a rare recent victory for the Baillieu forces, which failed to preselect Ms Wooldridge earlier this year in the nearby seat of Kew.

Mr Pesutto’s victory in the four-way race is politically palatable for Dr Napthine because Mr Pesutto is considered future ministerial material but also has less policy baggage because of his lower profile compared with Mr Roskam.

Sources said that both Mr Pesutto and Mr Roskam were well received by the Liberal administrative committee.

Mr Baillieu’s belated local support for Mr Pesutto, an industrial lawyer, appears to have been crucial to his victory.

Mr Roskam is expected to retain the position as IPA chief.

This is expected to be Mr Roskam’s last tilt at politics, having made other unsuccessful attempts to enter both the state and federal parliaments.

Mr Pesutto reportedly performed strongly in his address to the administrative committee.

The Australian understands that Mr Roskam’s position at the IPA affected some left wing votes, with Mr Baillieu a leading figure among Liberal wets in Victoria.