With a new leader and tired opponent, this should be the Victorian Liberals’ year – if not for self-inflicted wounds

As dysfunction reigns, the party shows yet again that its greatest obstacle to winning government is not Labor but itself

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This should be the Victorian Liberal party's year. They head into November's election with a new, energetic and articulate leader in Jess Wilson, who has vowed to drag her party to the centre and reconnect with voters it has lost in recent years.

Across the aisle stands a weary third-term Labor government, burdened by the state's debt - forecast to hit $192bn by 2028-29 - and the baggage of more than a decade in power. No Victorian Labor government has ever secured a fourth term - a fact that should give the Liberals cause for optimism.