Mr Guy’s camp and a grouping led by Mr Smith have come together over the winter to build a coalition big enough to topple Mr O’Brien, so Mr Smith is likely to be Mr Guy’s favoured pick.
Backers of Mr Guy say the Victorian Opposition, under Mr O’Brien, has failed to present itself as an alternative government, and that it had been “consistently angry” throughout the pandemic without a positive platform.
While Mr O’Brien’s supporters have previously told The Age, the Opposition under Mr Guy had been “too angry”, appealing to the Liberal Party’s base instead of ordinary Victorians.
One Liberal source said the party needs to take collective responsibility for its “leadership woes” and inability to find a viable alternative.
“There is no magic pill, and you can’t replace determination, grit, hard work, intelligence and perseverance by just putting in another person.
“The party needs to kill off two leaders [Mr O’Brien and Mr Guy] so we can actually have a chance at winning. Tim [Smith] is the most viable. He needs a lot of work, but it’s not out of the question that he steps up as a credible and mature leader in a few years.”
More to come
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