DEPARTING Victorian Liberal Party leader Matthew Guy has been lauded as a “great friend” of Wodonga by his Border parliamentary colleague.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Opposition Leader announced his resignation as party leader yesterday after the Liberals were routed by the Labor government at Saturday’s state election.
Liberal member for Benambra Bill Tilley praised Mr Guy’s bond with Wodonga, a city he visited four times as party leader, including a shadow cabinet gathering.
“Matthew Guy was a great friend of this district and Wodonga,” Mr Tilley said.
“He held the annual Coalition conference here in 2016 – he got the need to grow regional Victoria, he understood the need for jobs and now that opportunity will be lost with another four-year Labor term.”
Mr Tilley and Mr Guy were both elected in 2006.
“I have got to know the man behind the title of Opposition Leader and know the personal sacrifices he has made in the hope of making Victoria an even greater state,” Mr Tilley said.
“His decision to step down is his and his alone – I respect that.”
A decision on new Liberal leader is expected next week.
“At this stage, if I am still the member, we will meet next Thursday and I would expect that there will be a number of possible contenders,” Mr Tilley said.
“That decision will be made behind closed doors and just as we have with Matthew – we’ll come out the other side as a unified team.”
Treasury spokesman Michael O’Brien and shadow attorney-general John Pesutto are likely leadership candidates, although the latter is battling to hold on to his seat.
Meanwhile, a recheck of first preference votes has been completed in Benambra with 82.1 per cent of the enrolment now counted.
On a two-candidate preferred basis, Mr Tilley has a 407-vote lead over independent Jacqui Hawkins, according to the ABC’s website.
A final result is not expected until next week when preferences are distributed.
A recheck continues for the five-member Upper House seat of Northern Victoria.
Latest projections by the ABC have the Labor Party’s Mark Gepp, Liberal Wendy Lovell, Liberal Democrat and Wodonga councillor Tim Quilty, Nationals member Luke O’Sullivan and Labor’s Jaclyn Symes being elected.
The update means Wangaratta’s Derryn Hinch Justice Party candidate Tania Maxwell has dropped out of the last five, having been in the quintet since Saturday night.
