poor teddy

And poor Victorians, of course. All govn'ts must have strong, vigourous, focused oppositions, otherwise they end up like Howard and Kennett!

(This morning's AGE)

More rats in Liberal ranks, say leaders

May 12, 2008 - 10:39AM

The Victorian Liberal Party's leadership believes an all-encompassing investigation of its operations will reveal more rats in its ranks.

Two key staff members - Simon Morgan and John Osborn - have been sacked for contributing to an internet site aimed at undermining leader Ted Baillieu, along with a number of state and federal parliamentarians and other party members.

Party deputy leader Kim Wells said a wider investigation was needed.

"The headquarters people need to be investigated, members of parliament need to be investigated, and people on the administration side also need to be investigated," Mr Wells said.

"We need to find out who these people were speaking to, getting their orders from - I don't believe for one moment that it was just two people acting alone."

Mr Wells told ABC Radio he believed Mr Morgan and Mr Osborn were part of a wider circle operating within the party.

"Ted calls it a cell and I think that's an apt description."

Former Victorian Liberal premier Jeff Kennett said the party should deal with the matter and then move on as quickly as it can.

"The one thing you learn in life is that you deal with these issues and then get on with life very quickly. You can't allow them to consume you," he said today.

"These two characters have totally abused their opportunity and they have been identified and removed. Whether there are others or not I have no idea."

Nonetheless, Mr Baillieu is sure there are more people involved than the two already sacked.

He said there was a small, but influential group within the party with a culture of "recklessness" and "disgraceful behaviour".

"This is just the tip of the iceberg, I'm afraid to say," Mr Baillieu told Fairfax Radio Network.

"There is a cell of people who have been doing the bidding of others in the party.

"There are a number of people, they are (a) small, deep seated cell in my view and it's time to clean up."

He said most of the party's members were outraged and appalled.

"I don't think it's a large group of people. I think the vast, vast majority of Liberal Party members are decent, hard-working people. But there is a small group who has some influence and they have a culture of recklessness and this sort of errant, disgraceful behaviour."

He said an internal party investigation run by himself, party state director Tony Nutt and state president David Kemp, would be completed within the next few weeks.

Liberal Party Victorian powerbroker Michael Kroger would not comment on the record on the issue.

AAP