Liberals
THE BOSS: Michael Kroger knocks a few heads together in Higgins
Yesterday, with military efficiency, Michael Kroger’s eponymous faction launched its decisive move for the blue-ribbon seat of Higgins. The seat is the centre of power for the faction and unlike its Baillieu faction rivals they weren’t about to let it risk it falling into enemy hands due to a messy and random preselection contest.
Having settled the issue of who the faction would back after discussions between Michael Kroger and the incumbent Peter Costello, Kroger then set about obtaining the withdrawal of all the candidates by meeting them in the style of an ALP right-wing factional heavy. He’ll understand – at least around here – that’s not meant as an insult.
Having pulled off the considerable achievement this week, he then authorised his candidate Kelly O’Dwyer to make it known to the press for Saturday that she is the annointed one.
It was an awesome display of slick and tough factional power, of the kind we normally only see in the ALP when it operates efficiently during periods of blue moon.
Strong contenders from rival factions like Johnny Roskam, factional brothers who escaped Queensland’ for Melbourne’s southern winter wonderland Jason Aldworth and Julian Sheezel and a number of others fell away after some “gentle persuasion” from Michael Kroger in a series of secret face-to-face meetings we can exclusively reveal.
Sheezel even blamed “family reasons” for not running, normally something offered as an excuse for retirement after being caught with a midget hooker during a Mexican junket or something.
All of those gents will get bumped into Parliament eventually, certainly if the Libs are putting their best people forward. The state Liberal ranks in particular are due for a massive clean-out and elevating any of them would be a very serious indication that the party is seriously preparing to govern.
While some foes criticise Kelly O’Dwyer as a factional hack with people skills that left some staffer referring to the ex Costello staffer as a “total biatch,” there is probably no person running around the Kroger faction at her age who enjoys the same level of respect and regard for her abilities. She is one of very few women graduating from the Melbourne University Liberal Club who look ready to get stuck into public life. Her gender makes her a rare phenomenon in her circle, that she combines it with being tough as guts could make her a formidable and scary political weapon.
She’ll be up against the Tim Wilson, a very confident public performer who impressed many with his professionalism during his Melbourne Council bid, who will be supported by the Baillieu faction and perhaps by a few peeved at Michael Kroger’s heavy-handed yet patriotic manipulations that attempted to get KOD up unopposed. We suspect they’ll be a substantial minority but a minority all the same.
As noted in today’s press, Brough won’t be running. He is apparently looking or waiting to be drafted. That aint gonna happen although some are thinking he’d be a good replacement for Fran Bailey in McEwen depending on what happens with redistributions up there. Bailey is likely to run again to ensure the Battle-axe community continues to represented in Canberra but the ex-minister and notoriously bad boss won’t go past 2013.
And in Aston it looks like earlier reports than John Pesutto will run are not correct. Instead the field includes ex-Brendan Nelson staffer Alan Tudge, ex Baillieu staffer Nick McGowan and possibly some others from the local area.
Discussion
50 comments for “THE BOSS: Michael Kroger knocks a few heads together in Higgins”
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I never went to Mexico….
For no reason other than sheer laziness, Macca survives another round. What a disgrace.
Kelly is incredibly talented. She’s smart, dedicated, hard working and incredibly able. She’s the best candidate of either gender you could want for a seat like Higgins. Go Kelly!
You do know this ‘factionalism’ is grossly overstated. How can it even be compared to the ALP!???
oh i say! timmeh – what larks
The good news is that neither J-Rat nor JA will be the Member for the Higgins.
The bad news is that Kelly O’Dwyer is the next Member for Higgins.
Cossie – please stay. All is forgiven.
What ever happened to Alex?
Who am I?
I came 3rd in a preselection against Marie Luckins.
I set up a failed business called International Careers Pty Ltd in a tax haven.
The peak of my political career was as an adviser for the Bronwyn for PM campaign.
My only experience as a campaign manager before becoming State Director was campaign director and strategist for the losing Monash Province campaign in 2002.
My closest political associate is Santo Santoro.
I lost a state election.
I deliberately sabotaged the Prahran campaign, removing central funding for factional reasons.
I was part of the losing team for the last Federal election.
I gave the IT contract for 104 to a company that Dan Feldman is a director of, without going to tender. Dan Feldman subsequently had to leave his law firm.
I leased part of 104 Exhibition Street – a direct legacy of Robert Menzies – to Tolarno Galleries, who displayed Bill Henson’s child porn in the Liberal Party’s own building.
I corruptly breached the Electoral Act, using the threat of pulling the party polling contract to get two people fired.
I asked staff to blog against the State Leader, then when it came out, I knifed them as publicly as I could to try and rat out of it.
When the blog affair came out, I denied even knowing about the blog – lying to Ted Baillieu, Tony Nutt, David Kemp, the media and the party. In actuality, I had been bragging about the blog I had tacitly authorised for months – including in December to Don Nardella MP, who has since put the facts on the record in parliament. http://www.theage.com.au/national/liberal-chief-under-pressure-over-blog-20080528-2j3u.html
I undertook a secret deal with DPA Document Printing Australia Pty Ltd to re-employ Chandler for the Liberal Party, in a cruel hoax on the Party and the Jewish community.
I left 104 Exhibition Street in a burning wreck, having lost both the State and Federal Campaign managers in a fortnight of the worst media coverage in the Party’s history.
I tarnished the reputation of the Higgins 200 Club by associating it with donations from the aged care industry extracted by Santo Santoro.
Both my first and second wives are better at politics than me.
I have been unemployed for over a year.
My only appointment most days is a long boozy lunch at the Athenaeum Club.
I tell people I am an “accountant/ corporate accountant” despite no longer holding proper professional registrations to do such work.
I was dis-endorsed by Peter Costello, once he realised that the allegations of improper conduct made against me were, in fact, accurate.
I am not, nor will I ever be, very popular amongst the branch members in Higgins.
I am thinking about heading back to Queensland, where Santo might be able to get me a seat.
Hopefully, this is the end of Mitch’s failed J-Rat experiment.
Victor ater reading this mornings Sunday Age I will not ask to why you required the purchase of a ’step ladder’ for your endeavours in the USA? Was Jayne involved in the usage of this apparatus?
To Who am I:
If you’re really thinking about coming back to qld, bring some Kroger-Costello forces with ya.
We need to unhinge the Nats dominated LNP and make them recognize who the daddy of our political partnership really is!
While you’re at it make Mal comeback to Qld too.
The Nat’s up up are so far-whacked out on political cocaine that they think that Joh for PM could happen again under Joe Hockey!
Love Denny Crane
Weren’t the reforms meant to change the party? Yet Kroger has installed his candidate in Higgins. How is this a positive benefit of the reforms?
Don’t knock Joh Qld-Nat-Rat. He was Australia’s greatest Premier and the best PM Australia never had.
We need a reincarnated Joh and we need him now.
I agree with Anonymous 13:49. From all accounts Kelly is a great candidate, but I can’t help feel like the preselection has been run and won in Mr Kroger’s 101 Collins St office. It is not a good look for Kelly I am afraid to say.
Sometimes you just have to call in a complete wanker to get the job done. Hopefully, the new member-to-be wont be afraid of shadows like the current one.
Mal Brough would wipe the floor with Kelly. Perhaps this is Kroger’s cunning plan, get rid of JA and J-Rat and give Mal an opponent he will easily defeat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NisCkxU544c
This is a positive development because the cold hard reality is that, much as it haunts Ted’s nights, the Libs in Victoria have only ever functioned effectively when Kroger has actually exerted himself. Ted had the supreme misfortune of immediately succeeding Kroger as President and has emulated the mongoloid third son of a successful family dynasty ever since – squandered the legacy.
Little Timmeh could never be held in such high esteem by anyone as he is by himself. He is one of the smugest of the smug.
Maybe Kelly could give Julian a job as am electorate officer? After 18 months of unemployment, and 7 years since he worked in the private sector, unlikely he could get anything else.
I am very busy developing business opportunities – not quite sure what these opportunities are yet – but I’m still very busy.
Word is that Julian was not able to pass the new police check that is part of David Kemp’s new preselection procedures. Seems that there is serious money still owing overseas due to the failed Hong Kong business, with court orders and the works…
Jules, don’t let them get too you. Being sprung for financial impropriety never hurt ME!
Vietnam? I thought it was Thailand.
Hey, fatty sheezel, at least you can come off the xenical now. Lunch tomorrow? Your club or mine?
Anonski, no definately Vietnam, because when his first wife left him in Hong Kong, she took a legal job in Thailand, and Jules started spending his weekends in Vietnam.
Did his first wife leave him when she discovered that women were not his only love?
Do any Young Ladies need a ‘lift’ home, as I am thrilled to oblige your urgent needs.
Jules, we told you to stop fucking our mates. You wouldn’t listen.
Love
Russell, Helen, Michael, Michael, Tony, Jason, Scott, Scott, Ross, Frank, Sophie, Rod, Warren, Georgie.
Anonski, that’s right. She found mutug Julian’s first and only love is Julian.
Probably not true, but she said he calls out his own name during sex.
I needed the step ladder because of my short stature, Fatty Doyle.
San Fran is such an exciting and wonderful place. Sometimes I need a little elevation so as to properly appreciate the view.
P!ss off RDR. As many commenters on Vexnews have observed, you are what is wrong with Victoria.
Seantor Aunty Mitch is a very important man.
P!ss off RDR, you are what is wrong with Victoria.
kroges for ruler of the universe
Dear Julian,
What can we say? We warned you.
First, we told you if you became State Director, it would make becoming a candidate very hard.
Then, when you started playing games, we told you to stop, that you were making too many enemies.
Then, you started playing one part of the faction off against the other…and signed your own death warrant. Even then, we warned you Higgins would never be yours.
Then, worst of all, you chose Peter over Michael.
When will you ever learn?
Yours
Russell Hannan
Helen Kroger
Scott Ryan
Jason Aldworth
Tony Barry
Frank Greenstein
Warren Samuel
Matt Guy
Georgie Crozier
Karen Synon
It gets better all the time, first Kooyong and now HIggins, they will both be labor at the next election
Where is my little friend, Godwin?
is karen back in the krogerite tent? jolly good show if so
I’d like to be in that tent with GLB Barry.
I’m running for Higgins. Because I’m a rat.
I’ll support my friend Godwin for Higgins.
Whilst not Ross’ No. 1 fan, I concede that he would make a better candidate than Kelly O’Dwyer.
….and that Kelly is an improvement on both JA and J-Rat.
GLB Barry for Higgins.
The Borg must die! If there’s been a leadership change in SA, there’s prolly gonna be one in NSW b4 the next state election and hopefully another leadership change in Qld to keep the rumbling of the Borg at bay. Kroger is god!
Yeah JA is a real genius.
I should have run for Higgins, Caulfield, Sandringham, Aston and Wannon, and also challenged every current sitting member.
hey ross … txt me ok, will b hot!
hey kroges .. send me txt or pics of anne will be hot
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