Liberal MPs hit the high seas on day two of party conference

Victorian Liberal and National MPs have gathered for day two of their conference, where they hope to devise a plan to unsettle Daniel Andrews’ position of power.

Victorian opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier, right, shows off her catch after the fishing trip on Wednesday during the Liberals’ conference. Picture: Aaron Francis

Perhaps hoping Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ popularity might rub off on them, some state Liberal MPs threw on North Face jackets as they joined embattled Opposition Leader Mich­ael O’Brien on a fishing trip on Wednesday.

Three Liberal MPs — including a former leader — donned Mr Andrews’ signature rugged outdoor brand, made famous during pandemic press conferences, as the opposition was all at sea trying to hook a winning election strategy ahead of next year’s poll. With Nationals MPs in tow, the second morning of the party’s three-day love-in — a conference at the exclusive Moonah Links golf resort on the Mornington Peninsula — opened bright and early with a four-hour fishing expedition.

Matthew Guy and Matthew Bach leave the Westernport Marina in Hastings after spending the morning fishing. Picture: Aaron Francis.

MPs departed the Westernport Marina in Hastings on three boats — Knotteagain, Sidewinder and the Flying Fish — about 6.30am on Wednesday.

The Australian greeted the keen fishers about 11am when they returned and noted three MPs — former party leader Matthew Guy, upper house leader David Davis and Mr O’Brien’s shadow assistant Brad Rowswell — wore North Face jackets.

Nationals leader Peter Walsh, who caught two whiting on the trip, said the opposition still had time to put in place a plan to win the 18 seats to pull off a come-from-behind victory next year. Asked if he thought Mr Andrews could be toppled, he replied: “The next election is a long way away.”

As they boarded the charter bus that would return them to Moonah Links, Mr Walsh — due to address the conference with Mr O’Brien on Thursday — said they would get together to carve out a plan for the year ahead.

“It’s important to plan at the start of the year … I think we have seen the Andrews government make a mess of a lot of things, huge cost overrun on their major projects, obviously the number of fatalities because of the second wave (of) COVID that escaped hotel quarantine, and we are now seeing issues again with hotel quarantine,” he said.

“So there is a lot to talk about to highlight to Victorians what the Andrews government has failed on.”

Mr O’Brien would not respond to a request for comment when approached by The Australian on Wednesday, including a question about how many fish he caught.

The conference came after a senior Victorian Liberal last week told The Australian that Mr O’Brien would be rolled as Opposition Leader months ahead of the next state election, due in November next year, when the party needs to win 18 predominantly outer-suburban seats to govern.

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier was more upbeat when she returned to land and said “everyone caught something”: “It was fantastic … the whiting are magnificent.”

Leader of the expedition and recreational fishing peak body VR Fish executive officer Michael Burgess confirmed the group caught at least 10 whiting and threw back a few smaller flathead.

“It was a little bit tough with easterly winds … but you know that’s fishing for you as well,” Mr Burgess said. “Everyone seemed to have a bit of fun out there which was the objective as well.”