Liberals Look To New Leadership Team Amid Disastrous Defeat

With a handful of seats in the Victorian election still yet to be decided, the Coalition has been dealt another blow with an uncertain future.

It’s the sixth time in seven elections and the third under Premier Dan Andrews that the Victorian Labor party has scored another win to lead the state.

Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The Victorian Briefing - keeping you in the loop with news as it hits.

But in the wake of Andrews ongoing success, the Victorian Liberals have not only lost their leader following the resignation of Matthew Guy, but also their handle on modern Australia.

"As soon as it is clearer which Liberal Party candidates will form the next parliamentary party room, I will call them together to elect their new leadership team," Mr Guy said in a statement on Sunday.

"I will not be a candidate for the position of leader."

Many have placed the blame squarely at the feet of the Federal Liberals’ and their anti-China rhetoric, while others say the crashing defeat was due to the Coalitions' failure to attract millennials and gen Z, as well as women voters.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday, told ABC radio Melbourne that the Liberal party's "cuddling up to far-right elements", is setting them apart from everyday Aussies.

"The Liberal party have failed to come to terms with modern Australia and they continue to to cuddle up to some far-right elements in the political system.

"You can’t run a major political party by listening to what fringe elements are saying. You need to be in the mainstream. That’s where the Labor party is positioned," he said.

Albanese believes one of the key downfalls of the Coalition to garner support is the alienation of younger voters.

"When you have a position where you have senior members of the Coalition [who] can’t say that climate change is real in spite of the floods and bushfires and all of the evidence of the heating of the planet that we’re seeing, let alone any time something is put up to take action on climate change. They dismiss it.

Liberal members Brad Battin and Ryan Smith are among those considering a leadership tilt, while John Pesutto looks likely to throw his hat in the ring, despite his seat not yet called.

The 52-year-old has long been touted as a future leader of the state Liberal Party.

From The Saturday Paper and LiSTNR comes Post: News in Five, a daily podcast bringing you the top five news headlines in just five minutes. Hear it on the LiSTNR app today.