Victorian Liberal MPs claim they’ve been told they’re not allowed to speak to journos
without media manager approval, a move reminiscent of Kennett’s doomed “silent
election campaign.”

Said Jeff way back then, in the cold, dark pre-Crikey years: “I
don’t want you all out there like Brown’s cows talking to the media and
therefore raising the possibility of conflict.”

But Kennett’s move backfired. Victorians didn’t love that their
potential representatives weren’t allowed to talk to them – and they showed it
on election day.

Is Doyle really as short on memory as he is in stature? Does he
really think Victorians are going to vote for an army of silent clones?

Or will he learn his
history lesson and realise that the punters want to hear from the people they’re
being asked to vote for?