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It is Hard to Just Fade Away

Friday, 5th May, 2006

It is hard for defeated political leaders to simply fade away even when they retire from parliamentary politics. There is a nostalgia for the power and influence that working in the private sector seems incapable of quelling.

When the business community has spurned you, and failed to offer meaningful opportunities, the frustration is more so. Paul Keating is one classic example; without a seat on a single major company board he cannot resist giving his political advice to all and sundry.

Jeff Kennett is another.

It must have been flattering to Mr Kennett to have some in his old Victorian Liberal Party call for his return. Running a charity to combat depression is worthy but hardly as exciting as running a state. But it was good to see that he resisted the temptation.

Power drunk politicians, like punch drunk boxers, are a sad sight.

The task for the Victorian Liberal Party is an enormously difficult one. Labor won the last election with a primary vote of 48% to the Liberal's 34%.

The latest opinion polls have Labor at 44% and the Liberals still at 34%.

In two party preferred terms the gap has only narrowed slightly from 58:42 at the last election to 56:44.