Party members are forced to turn off their phones at events to select candidates. The speeches are not recorded, making it impossible to report direct quotes from McGowan’s address.
McGowan was contacted by The Sunday Age but declined to comment.
Last week, he was named Guy’s top adviser after previous aide Mitch Catlin resigned over revelations he asked a private donor for $100,000.
McGowan’s selection surprised some MPs because laws prevent political staff from campaigning during working hours, and also because of the clipped remarks about the parliamentary party during his speech.
It is not unusual for candidates to highlight a party’s flaws and offer recipes when seeking support from branch members to run for Parliament.
However, McGowan’s comments create discomfort as he now leads the office responsible, along with shadow ministers, for the policy and strategy he blamed. He delivered his speech more than a week before the donor saga began, meaning he would not have anticipated his entry into Guy’s office.
Labor and the Liberals say the Andrews government has lost support, particularly in the outer suburbs, after years of pandemic restrictions and strain on health services. While some Liberals remain optimistic about his ability to win seats, Guy is hampered by synchronic obstacles.
Within his parliamentary party, his leadership is being questioned by some MPs after two weeks spent answering questions about the donor saga.
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Within the wider Liberal establishment, many members of the Conservative wing are outraged by progressive policy positions on climate change and an indigenous peoples treaty, which the parliamentary team pursued to help modernize the opposition, but that have alienated members who volunteer at election time.
It was this exasperation that McGowan, who was Guy’s chief of staff when he was planning minister and held UN peacekeeping roles in places like Congo and Liberia, drew on to win his pre-selection. Some MPs believe his control over party issues will improve the opposition’s fortunes ahead of the November election.
A grueling fortnight for Guy, characterized by staff turmoil and unsettling media performances, has taken its toll on Liberal wing loyalists and candidates who quit their jobs to campaign for a change of government
“There have been people at functions in tears. They want Andrews gone, but they worry if the Liberals can do it,” said one source.
The pre-selection of anti-abortion and trans-rights opponent Moira Deeming has created an ongoing sore spot. The Victorian Socialists have pledged to demonstrate against Deeming’s candidacy at upcoming party events. Last week, Guy left a fundraiser in Tarneit shortly after arriving and before making his speech. Sources said the arrival of protesters outside the site prompted their departure.
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