The once-dominant Victorian Liberal Party is on the hunt for a new state director.
The role, akin to that of a chief executive, comes with a six-figure salary above that of an MP, access to powerful people and has previously been used as a stepping stone to a job in parliament.
Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto.Credit:Jason South
Sound appealing? Then why are the Liberals struggling to find enough suitable candidates?
Because the successful candidate inherits a poisoned chalice. Once considered a path to parliament, the role of state director has become a graveyard for former up-and-comers who have repeatedly taken the fall for the parliamentary team.
Just ask former state director Nick Demiris, who copped a lot of flak for the Victorian Liberals’ devastating 2018 loss, one of the most humbling in its history.
Former Victorian Liberal state director Damien Mantach.
There was also Damien Mantach who held the post of state director when the Liberal Party lost the 2014 election. Ironically, as it would turn out, Mantach copped less blame for that loss than some of his contemporaries, with a review spreading the blame widely.
That changed when Mantach was found to have embezzled more than $1.5 million of Liberal Party money, which he used to buy shares and a small business.
Lamenting the dire state of the latest recruitment efforts, one disheartened Liberal described Mantach as perhaps the best state director in recent times in terms of his “technical skills”.
“At least he showed initiative and creativity,” the former Liberal official said, with tongue firmly in cheek.
The state director job also appears to have been a dead end for the most recent state director, Sam McQuestin, who took over the role in 2019. McQuestin was heralded as the answer to the Victorian Liberal Party’s woes after leading the Tasmania Liberals to two election triumphs.
This time, McQuestin didn’t even wait until the votes were counted before pulling up stumps and heading back to the Apple Isle. Like so many before him, he could see that he was in line to cop the blame for the election loss.
Sam McQuestin signalled his intention to quit as Liberal director before the state election.
Not that directors ought to be absolved of all blame. Just as company bosses are pressured to stand aside if things go pear-shaped, so too state directors must take responsibility for election losses. But for a party as troubled as the Victorian division of the Liberals, it seems a little too convenient for them to be responsible for all the ills of a largely volunteer-run organisation.
With that in mind, party sources report there hasn’t been much interest in the latest job vacancy, which has been advertised online and in major newspapers for three weeks. The few remaining optimists in the party were blaming the Christmas break, hopeful things would pick up this week.
Louise Staley has declared her intention to apply for the role of state directorCredit:Penny Stephens
One declared candidate is former state MP Louise Staley who lost her regional seat of Ripon in November. Staley’s support base is strong among state MPs but she also has the backing of Senator Jane Hume and MP Jason Wood who is also believed to be warming to the idea.
Working in Staley’s favour is her record as a marginal seat campaigner and the fact she’s a woman, which the party’s recent review suggested they could do with more of.
At 57, Staley is also unlikely to want to use the role as a stepping stone back into parliament which would free her up from the schmoozing and factional dealing that is necessary for such a transition.
But Staley’s ability to appeal to the more moderate Liberals has long riled up the party’s conservative forces, prompting them to hunt for their own candidate, with former federal staffer Jackson Whiteley touted as an option.
Perennial Liberal candidate Asher Judah is also considering applying for the job after he missed out on a seat in parliament in November. His supporters believe his experiences in membership organisations such as the Property Council would be a handy asset for the Liberals, but detractors are quick to highlight his recent success at turning two marginal seats into safe Labor electorates.
As it stands, the current list of candidates has left Liberal officials – including some on the selection panel – a little unimpressed. They believe their best hope is to lure an interstate party official – such as West Australian director Stuart Smith or deputy federal director Simon Berger. But the question remains, how do you attract talent to Victoria to lead one of the most dysfunctional Liberal Party divisions in Australia?
In the perfect world, officials want a candidate who is under 35, but preferably over 30. With fresh ideas and truckloads of experience, particularly in marketing. They need to be Liberal supporters, though not factional players, with significant political experience. Membership engagement and stakeholder management are also essential for success.
History would suggest they’ll also need the skills to run an election campaign, which is largely manned by volunteers. They must manage the egos of politicians, deal with petty political infighting and sell the policies dreamt up in shadow cabinet. And importantly, they must take the fall when it all goes wrong.
In HR terms, the problem seems to be that party officials are seeking a “unicorn candidate”, or mythical creature that simply doesn’t exist.
But in this red-hot jobs market, where employees have the luxury of being selective, the Libs may have to settle for what they can get.
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