Former treasurer Michael O’Brien has been elected Victoria’s new Opposition Leader, replacing Matthew Guy after the Liberal Party’s disastrous state election defeat.
He was elected at a partyroom meeting this morning, after Mr Guy quit last week and the party’s Victorian branch president, Michael Kroger, resigned on Friday night.
Cindy McLeish was elected deputy leader.
Mr O’Brien was an adviser to former federal treasurer Peter Costello and an industrial relations lawyer before being elected the MP for Malvern, in Melbourne’s inner-east, in 2006.
The 47-year-old served as a minister in the Ted Baillieu-led Coalition Government, and was promoted to treasurer when Denis Napthine became Premier in 2013.
While counting continues following the November 24 vote, Labor is set to govern with a 56-seat majority in Victoria’s 88-seat Lower House, up from 45 at the close of the last Parliament.
The Coalition looks to have won just 26 seats, losing a number of previously safe electorates, including Hawthorn, which had been held by potential leadership contender John Pesutto.
