Australians in other states have long taken a quizzical view of Victorian politics. Many are rightfully baffled by the Victorian Liberals’ failure to make political hay in a state that endured the world’s longest lockdowns, where infrastructure and services are crumbling, and debt and deficits are growing ever larger.

The genesis of this problem lies in the defeat of the Kennett government in 1999, a defeat many in the party have never truly reconciled themselves with.