Victoria’s Napthine government hit by Ted Baillieu tape scandal

A LEAKED recording of former premier Ted Baillieu has plunged the Victorian Coalition into a pre-election scandal.

Former Victorian premier Ted Baillieu allegedly criticised his colleagues in a leaked recording. Picture: Josie Hayden

THE Napthine government has been rocked by a leaked recording detailing former premier Ted Baillieu’s strident criticism of colleagues, plunging the Coalition into yet another pre-election scandal.

The Sunday Age newspaper has blamed a thief for stealing a recorder, which contained a conversation earlier this year between Mr Baillieu and one of its reporters.

Premier Denis Napthine today called on Mr Baillieu and the newspaper to deal with the scandal gripping the Coalition.

In the recorded conversation, which has leaked widely, Mr Baillieu attacks Liberal colleagues including Bernie Finn, Michael Gidley and Murray Thompson and plays down the merits of the newly-preselected Member for Kew Tim Smith.

He is also highly critical of the forces aligned to party heavyweight Michael Kroger, accusing them of being behind the preselection debacle that forced Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge to contest an Upper House seat.

“You know I am not a briefer,’’ Mr Baillieu is quoted as saying in a transcript while slamming some of his colleagues.

Mr Baillieu also criticises this reporter’s coverage of the 2002 leadership challenge endured by Dr Napthine and suggests the Kroger forces were using the same tactics as 12 years earlier.

However, Mr Baillieu appears to have confused his history of a preselection involving Mr Gidley, which occurred in the middle of the last decade.

He also fails to understand the dynamics behind Dr Napthine’s execution as Opposition leader, which was — in the end — a cross-factional decision to replace him in late 2002 with Robert Doyle.

In the recording, Mr Baillieu appears to blame antiabortionists for hijacking the Kew preselection earlier this year.

Mr Baillieu says that rebel independent Geoff Shaw was sponsored by key members of the Liberal Party.

“Shaw has been sponsored into this position by a bunch of people from the very first day led by (antiabortionist) Bernie Finn and some of his crazy mates in the parliamentary team,’’ Mr Baillieu says in the interview.

“And a very senior member of the organisation who is very close to (federal minister) Kevin Andrews and they’ve been going for it ...’

He says that the preselection is “really, really nasty’’ and draws a comparison with 2002 and the preselection of Mr Gidley.

But Mr Gidley was preselected in 2005.

Mr Baillieu claims that Mr Gidley was described as a potential future leader, the same description used by this reporter about Mr Smith in the Kew by-election this year.

Asked if Mr Gidley was anti-abortion, Mr Baillieu says: “Yep. yep.’’

On Mr Gidley, Mr Baillieu says: “And he was no good then.’’

On Murray Thompson, a veteran MP who is the son of former premier Lindsay Thompson, Mr Baillieu says: “No idea who you’re talking about because I never hear his name mentioned anywhere anymore. Not even by himself.’’

Dr Napthine yesterday refused to be drawn on the substance of the recording, referring the matter to Mr Baillieu and Fairfax.

Fairfax yesterday claimed the recording had been stolen.

The question of who leaked the recording is unclear. A transcript of the conversation was also leaked and sent to many MPs.

There is no suggestion the recording was leaked by The Sunday Age.

A transcript of the recording, sent to state MPs and Liberal Party members, suggests it was made by Melbourne’s The Sunday Age and then mysteriously leaked.

It details extensive criticism by Mr Baillieu of MPs Bernie Finn, Michael Gidley and Murray Thompson.

It is also critical of this reporter from The Australian and the Liberal candidate for Kew Tim Smith.

Mr Baillieu refused to address the waiting media.

Premier Denis Napthine will hold a press conference at 12.30pm.

The recorded was made at the height of the Kew preselection scandal and focuses heavily on alleged anti-abortion forces in the government.

Fairfax is yet to comment.