Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08MELBOURNE151
2008-12-22 04:56:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Melbourne
Cable title:  

Victoria Opposition Leader Remains Upbeat Despite Polls

Tags:  PGOV AS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1927
RR RUEHPT
DE RUEHBN #0151/01 3570456
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220456Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL MELBOURNE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4841
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3517
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 2041
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 1498
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000151 

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV AS
SUBJECT: Victoria Opposition Leader Remains Upbeat Despite Polls

Ref: Melbourne 121

Summary
-------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000151

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV AS
SUBJECT: Victoria Opposition Leader Remains Upbeat Despite Polls

Ref: Melbourne 121

Summary
--------------


1. (SBU) Ted Baillieu, Leader of the Victorian Opposition, believes
that former Howard Treasurer Peter Costello will run for reelection
in the next federal election, signaling a challenge to Malcolm
Turnbull for national leadership of the Liberal Party. Baillieu
says that he is optimistic about his party's prospects in the next
Victorian election, but recent polls and his frustration with the
media indicate that the election will more likely be Labor's to
lose. End Summary.

The Next PM that Never Was
--------------


2. (SBU) Ted Baillieu, Leader of the Victorian Opposition, told
Consul General on December 16 that he believes Peter Costello will
run for reelection in the next federal election. According to
Baillieu, this would signal Costello's intention to challenge
Malcolm Turnbull for leadership of the federal opposition. While
Costello himself has remained silent on the issue (reftel),some see
this as his last chance to realize his long time ambition to become
Prime Minister. Baillieu suggested that Costello would like to be
seen as "saving the party," and believes that he is waiting for the
Liberal Party to ask him to return. After the November 2007
elections, Costello said he was leaving politics to pursue a career
in the "commercial world;" insiders say that he having a hard time
finding a suitable position in the private sector. Nominations for
Liberal pre-selection in Higgins (Costello's seat) are expected to
be due by mid-April.


3. (SBU) According to Baillieu, federal-state cooperation in the
Liberal Party leaves much to be desired. The Victorian Liberal
Party apparatus, run by former Howard Chief of Staff Tony Nutt, is
much more concerned about commonwealth issues and seldom consults
with Baillieu on joint strategies. (Note: Nutt is a highly regarded
political strategist who has also served as the Liberals' state
director in New South Wales and South Australia. End note.)
Liberal Party Senators are "more of a problem than anything else."
Responding to Consul General's question, Baillieu said that Liberal
"stars" such as Costello or former Victoria Premier Jeff Kennett are
seen more as liabilities than assets to the state's Liberal Party
due to personality-based divides within the party.

A Quiet Opponent
--------------


4. (SBU) Baillieu said that he is "optimistic" about the prospects

of a Liberal victory in the next state elections. Thanks to a
"solid" coalition with the National Party, he calculates that the
Liberals must only win 13 (of Victoria's 88) additional seats in the
elections which are to be held sometime prior to November 2010. An
opinion poll released on December 18, however, showed Labor Premier
John Brumby as the preferred Premier over Baillieu by a spread of 22
percentage points. On a two-Party preferred basis, Labor leads the
Liberal Party in Victoria 57 to 43 percent. (Comment: Baillieu lost
the last Victorian election to former Labor Premier Steve Bracks and
observers say that he is still not getting any traction with voters.
Baillieu is often described by others as a small "l" liberal.
Insiders say that these instincts make it hard for him to beat the
"law and order drum" - an important issue in Victoria. End
comment.)


5. (SBU) Despite this bad news, Baillieu was upbeat and said that
the Liberals intend to bring the fight to Labor on four fronts. He
sees corruption and the provision of water, public transportation,
and law and order as areas of weakness for the Labor government.
Baillieu described his approach as fostering a gradual "snowball"
accumulation of public discontent with the Labor government rather
than causing a "sudden avalanche." Consul General noted that some
observers have criticized Baillieu on not being enough of an attack
dog in his role as Leader of the Opposition. Baillieu's visible
frustration at this remark indicates that this was probably not the
first time he has received this feedback, but he simply replied that
he preferred not to run a "negative campaign."

Apathetic Media?
--------------


6. (SBU) The media, Baillieu said, has hindered the Liberal Party
from getting its message out to the public. He attributed this to a
general decline of media interest in state politics. He claimed
that there are ten times as many reporters in Canberra's press
gallery than in Victoria's. John Hamilton, Associate Editor of the
daily Herald, however, told CG that Baillieu's Liberals have been
not been proactive in reaching out to the media. Hamilton went on
to say that he was not even able to name the Liberal front-benchers.

MELBOURNE 00000151 002 OF 002


Other observers have noted that Baillieu's struggle with the media
is at least partially due to the number of political "spin artists"
employed by Premier John Brumby.

Comment
--------------


7. (SBU) While Baillieu said that he was optimistic about the
Liberal Party's chances in the next state election, few in Victoria
share Ted Baillieu's optimism. A federal Liberal MP recently told
post that even he is unable to discern exactly where Baillieu is
taking the party and acknowledged that leadership in Victoria's
Liberal Party is "thin." Victoria was at one time, the "jewel in
the crown" for the Liberal Party; former Prime Ministers Robert
Menzies and Malcolm Fraser both hailed from the state.
Historically, a Victorian has served as either a federal level
leader or a deputy leader for the Liberal Party. The absence of a
Liberal leader in the federal opposition, Labor's nine year
domination of Victorian politics and sinking polls all point to
tough times ahead for Ted Baillieu's Liberal Party.

THURSTON