The faces in the Victorian
division of the Liberal Party are getting redder and redder as a
replacement for Opposition leader Robert Doyle still eludes capture.
One senior candidate “selector” admitted to Crikey that at preselection
gatherings in the eastern suburbs, hopefuls were asked the following:
In the unlikely event of Robert Doyle falling under a bus, who would
you like to see replace him? In every case, the reply was an
embarrassed stare.

The small but influential group grooming
Denis Napthine remains silent, but close scrutiny of the former leader
reveals subtle grooming changes – the type that didn’t work for Andrew
Peacock, but re-invented John Howard.

This correspondent’s
mole was in shoulder shrugging mode – and admitted that all that was to
be done was enjoy the Melbourne Festival and wait for Doyle’s
replacement to emerge – that’s if he or she is already in the Parliament.