Victorian Election 2022: Liberals may go backwards in nightmare scenario

The Liberal Party is facing a potential net negative result when compared with the 2018 Labor rout – but the Nationals appear to have picked up three seats.

Liberal leader Matthew Guy tucks into a democracy sausage at a polling booth in Templestowe on election day. Picture: Rebecca Michael

The Victorian Liberal Party is facing a potential nightmare result of going backwards in the state election, offset by key gains by the Nationals.

The Liberal Party is facing a potential net negative result when compared with the 2018 Labor rout.

The Nationals, however, appear to have picked up three seats – in Mildura, Shepparton and Morwell.

The Greens are on track for a total of at least five seats, while the teals may win two seats – Hawthorn in Melbourne’s inner east and Mornington, southeast of Melbourne.

Labor’s statewide primary vote is down about 5.5 per cent but the government appears to be heading towards a majority of seats.

Former opposition leader Michael O’Brien refused to be drawn on whether the opposition would have done better with him in charge.

“I don’t think about hypotheticals a lot,” he told the ABC.

Earlier, former Victorian Liberal state president Michael Kroger declared News that Labor would win the election – likely with a working majority.

“As much as it pains me to say, there isn’t any evidence that we can get to govern ourselves. The only question is do they (Labor) get a majority government or a minority government. It’s very hard at the minute to work that out,” he said on Sky News Australia.

“On balance, they’re going to hold government by a majority. So that’s a profoundly disappointing result all round.

“The early figures are uniform across the place, that’s what’s disappointing … not pick up those seats around Hawthorn, Kew is still in play I think, Ashwood, Ringwood … the seats in the East we needed Matthew (Guy) to win, we’re not going to win any of those.

“So unless the pre-poll votes show a dramatic change to what we’re seeing now … they’ll probably favour us a bit, but not anywhere to the extent we need to govern.”