Vic: Kennett comeback unlikely: Labor and Libs
By Lisa Walker
MELBOURNE, Aug 11 AAP - The prospect of Jeff Kennett reviving his Liberal leadershipin Victoria was dismissed by members of both sides of politics today.
The speculation followed a newspaper report that an unidentified group of influentialVictorian businessmen were touting for Mr Kennett's return and had conducted costly pollson the possibility.
State Liberal leader Denis Napthine has struggled in opinion polls but opposition frontbencherKim Wells was today adamant Dr Napthine would lead the party to the next state election.
The election can be called any time from November 30 and is tipped to be held shortly after then.
"I don't believe Jeff Kennett will make a comeback. I think he is enjoying life theway it is at the moment," Mr Wells, the opposition's police spokesman, told reporters.
"Denis Napthine will lead the Liberals to the next state election and I believe thathe will run it very, very well and I believe that he will win."
Acting Premier John Thwaites said he also believed a Kennett comeback was not (not) imminent.
"I don't think Jeff Kennett would seriously consider coming back into politics afterhe's left and after, obviously, the result in the last election," he told reporters.
"I think it just demonstrates how divided and weak the current crop of Liberals are.
"The fact they are having to delve back into the past to go for Jeff Kennett just demonstratesthey don't have anyone who is up to the mark at this stage."
The businessmen, who remain anonymous, wanted Mr Kennett to run for parliament as earlyas the next state election even if it meant leading the campaign from outside parliament,according to the report in the Sunday Herald Sun.
Polling they conducted suggested the Liberals could lose all of 12 marginal seats underthe existing leadership team.
"What the polling shows is that Jeff Kennett is the only person that can save us fromdisaster," one source told the paper.
The businessmen's private poll showed that Premier Steve Bracks had 56 per cent supportto hold the job, while Dr Napthine had 25 per cent and 19 per cent were undecided.
It also found that if Mr Kennett was the Liberal alternative he would get 38 per centsupport, Mr Bracks 52 per cent and nine per cent were undecided.
Mr Kennett, who hosts the afternoon program on Melbourne radio station 3AK, could notbe contacted for comment today.
He told the Sunday Herald Sun: "I haven't worried about opinion polls for years. Ididn't trust them then. I don't trust them now."
The latest Newspoll, published late last month, showed approval for Dr Napthine saggingto 12 per cent and the Liberal's primary support languishing on 37 per cent, behind Labor's45 per cent.
AAP lmw/gfr/pw/br
KEYWORD: KENNETT NIGHTLEAD
No comments:
Post a Comment