Victorian Liberal leader Matthew Guy advises Tim Smith not to contest next election

Tim Smith is expected to address the media on Wednesday, having lost the support of his party leader, friend and party room ally Matthew Guy.

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Drink-driving Victorian Liberal MP Tim Smith is expected to address the issue of his future in parliament at a press conference on Wednesday, having lost the support of his party leader, friend and party room ally Matthew Guy.

Sources close to the Member for Kew say he remains intent on attempting to recontest the eastern suburban seat at the November 2022 election, despite facing numerous obstacles.

Mr Smith’s appearance on Wednesday will be his first public outing since he recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.131 per cent after colliding with another car and ramming into the side of a house in Hawthorn, in Melbourne’s east, shortly before 9pm on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Mr Guy held his second press conference about the issue, saying he had told Mr Smith he does not want him to contest his seat at the next election.

MP Tim Smith. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Crosling

“Yesterday, when I did a news conference, I told you in 24 hours I’d have a chat to Tim Smith,” Mr Guy said on Tuesday.

“I left that news conference, went home, got changed and went and had a long period of time, discussions, with the member for Kew, with Tim Smith,” Mr Guy said, indicating he had travelled to the Mornington Peninsula where Mr Smith was laying low at his family’s Blairgowrie property.

“I made it very clear to Tim that he would not find his way onto the frontbench of any parliamentary Liberal Party that I lead, and I made it clear that I didn’t want him to nominate at the next election, and that I didn‘t believe he should nominate for the seat of Kew.

“Tim has and will reflect on my advice to him. He will then make a statement in his own time, I hope sooner rather than later, and that will be his response to my advice.”

Should Mr Smith attempt to defy his leader and recontest his seat, he would first have to face the preselectors of Kew, and then have his nomination approved by the Liberal Party’s administrative committee — neither of which is at all assured.

Mr Guy said he had treated Mr Smith’s incident in the same manner as the arrest of factional foe Simon Ramsay, who blew 0.191 per cent after being caught by police driving on the wrong side of the road four months out from the 2018 election.

While he had not crashed his car or caused damage to property, Mr Ramsay’s level of intoxication resulted in him being charged with the criminal offence of high range drink driving and he was required to appear in court, whereas Mr Smith has been fined for mid-range and will not be required to front court unless police charge him with careless driving.

“I gave (Simon) a period of time to reflect on his position, as I have with Tim, after which I have come back,” Mr Guy said.

“Simon was an endorsed candidate. Tim is not. And I had a conversation with them about their endorsement. Both are entirely consistent.”

Asked whether he was allowing Mr Smith to remain in parliament until the November 2022 election so as to avoid a by-election in the inner eastern Melbourne seat of Kew, Mr Guy replied: “I think enough damage has been done. I don’t think a $3m by-election is going to help anyone.”

Mr Guy said it was a “reasonable question” to ask if the incident had put a strain on his ­relationship with Mr Smith. “He’s a friend of mine, not just a colleague, but … this is the right decision, the right way to go for the sake of the people of Victoria. I think that’s more ­important,” he said.

“I think he is very distressed, I think he is very remorseful, I think he’s exceedingly remorseful. You know, this has potentially cost him his career, and you would expect anyone in that position to be not just remorseful, but certainly very sorry for what’s occurred.”

Asked whether he was across the facts of Mr Smith’s crash on Saturday night, Mr Guy said he knew as much as he needed to.

“Someone got behind the wheel at 0.13, clipped another car and hit a fence. That person was an elected politician. I don’t need to know any more than that. That’s the beginning and the end.”