The Victorian Liberals silent anniversary

Ten years ago Ted Baillieu broke the Liberal’s post-Kennett electoral drought by leading his party back into power in Victoria. 

The election result was a stunning political upset. Baillieu mugged an overconfident John Brumby by winning 13 seats with a massive six per cent state-wide swing. He also secured an unexpected majority in the State’s new upper house.  

Baillieu won because he ran with a positive, workmanlike agenda. “Fix the problems — Build the future” was his campaign slogan and, while it never created goosebumps, it made a virtue out of simplicity. 

After eleven long years of Labor mismanagement, underperformance and calculated deception, Victorians hungered for a government which played a straight…