Kennett won’t become Liberals’ state president

FORMER Premier Jeff Kennett has stepped away from his plan to be president of the Victorian Liberal Party after he could not secure the role without further internal tussling.

Mr Kennett (pictured) has revealed he has withdrawn his offer to seek control of the state branch, despite a push from within to get him into the top job.

Speculation about the role ramped up in the middle of March after an attempted spill against Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien.

Mr O’Brien saw off the challenge and the fallout prompted some Liberal insiders to push for a change within the party organisation that could rejuvenate memberships and candidates before the 2022 election.

Mr Kennett put his name forward to be party president on the condition current president Robert Clark willingly step down but this arrangement was not accepted.

“I was not able to secure the orderly transition I had hoped,” Mr Kennett said. “The alternative would have been a public contest that would have led to distraction, fodder for our political opponents, and called into open question the cohesive functioning of the Victorian parliamentary party.

“I do not want to be responsible for such an outcome.”

The coalition faces a mammoth task to prepare to take on the Andrews government at the next state election.

Mr Kennett said Mr Clark still wanted to lead and would not go down without a ballot at the party’s state council.