No Liberals fielded for key inner Melbourne seats

The Victorian Liberal Party is set to desert up to four crucial inner city seats in a strategic blow to Labor’s re-election bid.

Jacinda McLaughlin in the seat of Brunswick. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

The Victorian Liberal Party is set to desert up to four crucial inner-city seats, in a strategic blow to Labor’s re-election bid.

Talks between the major parties over preferences broke down last night, leaving Labor to fight it out against the Greens without Liberal preferences.

The Liberals will not contest Richmond, Brunswick, Northcote and Melbourne, making it tough for Labor to hold on to at least two of those seats.

The Liberals had wanted a deal on key regional seats in exchange for running but were rebuffed by Labor.

The seats where the Liberals won't run candidates

The Greens will have a much better chance of defeating Labor in Richmond and Brunswick because Labor will not benefit from Liberal preferences. Labor has 46 seats in the 48 seat parliament and would need to pick up at least one other seat to retain a majority under this scenario.

Sources indicated that state director Nick Demiris and Opposition Leader Matthew Guy were wedded to “running dead” in each of the four seats in a bid to inflict maximum damage on Labor.

It is understood Mr Guy was given a captain’s call over the decision, which was complicated by changes to electoral laws to restrict party donations.

Under a new funding deal, parties receive $6 for every lower house vote they receive.

Liberal insiders told The Australian the party has been locked in a tense standoff with Labor over preferences, with the Liberals looking to the rival party for a deal that could have improved the ­Coalition’s chances in regional seats, including South West Coast, Benambra and Ovens Valley.

The Coalition is under pressure from a slew of conservative-leaning independents in each of the three seats, prompting party members to appeal to Labor for a preference deal.

It is understood the negoti­ations also involved the Greens-held inner-city seat of Prahran, where the Liberals have poured huge resources into a campaign for high-profile doctor Katie Allen in a three-cornered contest with Greens MP Sam Hibbins and Labor’s Neil Pharaoh.

Another source told said the move was prompted by a desire to stretch Labor’s campaign resources thin in the inner city, as a means to give the ­Coalition an advantage in Prahran.

“It’s not just about campaign funds, it’s also about the ground game and making sure that Labor volunteers are as stretched as they can be,” one Liberal source said.

“For every week Labor’s thought we weren’t going to run in the inner city, that’s another week there’s been fewer volunteers out doorknocking in Prahran.”

Meanwhile, the Greens have flagged they will confront Labor on issues including climate change and refugee policy in a ­potential wedge with the federal ALP.

Last night, residents on the ground in Brunswick agreed.

Jacinda McLaughlin voted for Labor in the previous state election but said she would likely vote for the Greens this time because of issues including refugee policy and climate change.

“I have been sort of following the stuff on Nauru,” Ms McLaughlin said.

“I don’t think Labor really has a clear stance on it.”

Additional reporting: Tessa Akerman