Lib Rebels Back On Front Line

The Age

Saturday May 13, 2006

By PAUL AUSTIN, STATE POLITICAL EDITOR

NEW Liberal leader Ted Baillieu has promoted two factional opponents of former leader Robert Doyle in a frontbench reshuffle designed to boost the State Opposition's firepower.

Upper house MP Richard Dalla-Riva, who was demoted for disloyalty as Mr Doyle tried to shore up his leadership in December, has been promoted to the shadow cabinet for the first time.

Mr Dalla-Riva, who was regarded as one of the most active anti-Doyle MPs, regains the high-profile "scrutiny of government" portfolio, ensuring he will play a prominent role in the Opposition's attack on the Bracks Government's alleged waste and mismanagement.

Upper house MP David Davis, who was seen as a leader of the so-called anti-Doyle forces, remains environment spokesman but will also take on the planning portfolio previously held by Mr Baillieu.

In a "no losers" reshuffle, Mr Baillieu has expanded the shadow cabinet from 17 to 21, giving a position to every Liberal MP who plans to stand again at the November 25 election.

The 10 Liberal MPs who will not stand again - including Mr Doyle, his former deputy Phil Honeywood, former education spokesman Victor Perton and former upper house leader Bill Forwood - will sit on the back bench until the election.

Mr Baillieu said Mr Doyle had asked to go to the back bench, but had agreed to help out in the key portfolios of health and education, held by the relatively inexperienced Helen Shardey and Martin Dixon respectively.

The Government dismissed the new line-up as second-rate, with Attorney-General Rob Hulls saying the Liberals' best MPs were abandoning the party and languishing on the back bench.

But Mr Baillieu said voters had a right to know who would be representing them after the election.

He challenged Premier Steve Bracks to reshuffle his cabinet to replace Community Services Minister Sherryl Garbutt, who will retire at the election.

Government sources said Mr Bracks intended to keep his cabinet intact until the election, but would be expected to make several changes if Labor wins a third term.

Mr Baillieu, who needs a swing of about 8 per cent to achieve a surprise election win, denied factional considerations had influenced his reshuffle.

"We have 21 members (who are continuing in Parliament). I want to see each and every one of them involved actively and contributing," he said.

"They have all made a commitment to perform. I've set them high expectations. I want them to deliver."

Asked whether Mr Doyle had been wrong to demote Mr Dalla-Riva and Mr Davis in December, Mr Baillieu said: "I'm not making any judgements about that. I'm talking about the team that will go to the next election with confidence and my support."

Other MPs who come in to the expanded shadow cabinet are David Koch (spokesman on racing and forestry); Nick Kotsiras (multicultural affairs); Wendy Lovell (tourism and women's affairs); Ken Smith (gaming and fisheries) and John Vogels (local government).

© 2006 The Age

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