Liberal Party leadership

Baillieu in 2006

After Robert Doyle resigned as opposition leader on 4 May 2006, speculation mounted that former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett would return to politics and the position of Liberal Party Leader in order to lead the party into the 2006 state election set down for 25 November 2006. However, on the morning of 5 May 2006, Baillieu not only announced he was running for the leadership, but revealed that Kennett would not return to the leadership and was supporting Baillieu.^[4] Shadow Minister for Transport Terry Mulder had earlier announced he was running, but withdrew from the race. This left Baillieu to take the leadership unopposed at a Liberal party room vote on 8 May.

Six months after assuming leadership of the Liberals, Baillieu took the party into the 2006 election. The governing Labor Party, keen to exploit Baillieu's wealth, dubbed him Ted the Toff from Toorak.^[5]

Throughout the campaign, media stories about Baillieu's extensive blue chip share portfolio, at the time estimated to be worth almost $4 million, raised questions about conflicts of interest.^[6] Baillieu's handling of the issue and his refusal to place his investments in a blind trust were both thought to have hurt the Liberal Party during the campaign.^[7] At the 25 November 2006 election, the Liberals came up well short of winning government, though they managed to take six seats off Labor's large majority.

In a speech at the State Council of the Victorian Liberal Party, Ballieu opposed the push by John Howard for nuclear reactors in Victoria.^[8]

An online campaign against Baillieu by senior Liberal Party members was uncovered and made public, with Baillieu promising to root out the disloyal elements in his party. The media suspected that forces loyal to former Federal Treasurer Peter Costello and former State Party President Michael Kroger, themselves from Melbourne, had attempted to undermine Baillieu.^[9]

In February 2008, at a joint news conference it was announced that the Victorian Nationals and Liberals would join in a new Coalition agreement forged between Baillieu and Peter Ryan. As part of the arrangement, the parties agreed to hold joint party meetings, develop joint policies, allocate five shadow cabinet positions to the Nationals, abolish three-cornered contests (unless otherwise agreed) and run joint Legislative Council tickets in the non-metropolitan Regions. The Liberals and Nationals have historically had strained relations in Victoria. They had fought the 1992 and 1996 state elections as a Coalition after having sat separately for most of the second half of the 20th century, but went their separate ways after the 1999 election.^[10]

During 2008, Baillieu voted for abortion law reform which decriminalised abortion up to twenty four weeks and the moment of birth if two doctors grant approval.^[11][12]

International engagement

In September 2012, Baillieu led what was until then Australia's largest-ever international trade delegation to China. Because of the unprecedented scale of the delegation it was dubbed the "Super Trade Mission" and was attended by more than 400 Victorian business and 3 of Baillieu's key Ministers as his government launched a $50 million funding initiative to boost Victoria's international engagement efforts. The week long schedule covered 26 cities in China.

Secret recordings

On 4 March 2013, the Herald Sun released secret recordings which revealed Baillieu's chief of staff, Tony Nutt, had offered to help former Ryan police adviser Tristan Weston find a new job. Weston had been fired after an OPI report found he had undermined Victoria Police chief Simon Overland. The tapes also revealed Nutt had claimed the Baillieu government had hamstrung the operations of a new anti-corruption commission. More tapes were released the next day, in which deputy police chief Sir Ken Jones expressed concerns about Overland and promised to discuss them with Ryan. On 7 March, Liberal MLA Geoff Shaw resigned from the parliamentary Liberal Party and refused to commit to supporting the Government if Baillieu remained Premier. That afternoon, Ryan insisted that Baillieu would not resign. However, after a crisis meeting of Liberal MLAs later that night, Baillieu resigned as Leader of the Liberal Party and hence as Premier of Victoria.^[15] He remained in the legislature as a backbencher until his retirement at the 2014 election.

Covert recording controversy

In 2014, Baillieu made off-the-record comments "critical of parliamentary colleagues"^[16] to Sunday Age state political editor Farrah Tomazin. Tomazin recorded the comments without Baillieu's knowledge or consent. Tomazin subsequently lost her recorder at an ALP state conference.^[17] The recorder was found by security staff and handed over to Labor Party officials. The Baillieu recording was distributed from a fake email address on 24 June 2014.^[18] Party leader Daniel Andrews initially denied any Labor involvement. However, The Age's investigation of the incident led to ALP sources admitting senior figures in Andrews' team had listened to and made copies of the recording, before it was later emailed to hundreds of Liberal members and MPs.^[19] The matter was subject to a police investigation, but the Department of Public Prosecutions determined that no charges be laid.^[20]

Retirement from politics

On 22 August 2014, Baillieu announced that he would not re-contest his seat of Hawthorn and that he would be retiring from politics at the 2014 Victorian state election.^[21] Since April 2013, Baillieu has acted as Chair of the Victorian Government's ANZAC Centenary Committee, coordinating Victoria's commemorations, and is passionate about connecting as many Victorians as possible with Original ANZACs, whether by family, institution, geography, occupation or place of residence.^[22] Baillieu is the recipient of the 2013 Ashoka Medal from the Australia India Business Council Victoria in recognition of his contribution to Australia-India relations;^[23] and the Asian Leadership Network of Australia's 2014 Special Public Service Award. He also acted as an Honorary Ambassador for the Victorian Government's 80 Days of Melbourne initiative during which Victoria hosted an unprecedented number of internationally recognised sporting, arts, cultural and trade events between 9 January and 29 March 2015.^[24] In 2016 Baillieu became Melbourne University's Honorary Enterprise Professor associated with the Faculty of Architecture, Building & Planning.^[25] In 2017 Baillieu joined the Committee of the Melbourne Cricket Club,^[26] The Australian Institute of Architects Foundation Board,^[27] and was appointed adjunct professor at Swinburne University. In 2017 he was appointed co-chair of the Victorian Government's Cladding Task Force.^[28] In July 2020, Baillieu was appointed a member of the Australia India Council by the Foreign Minister.^[29] In June 2021, Baillieu was appointed by the Australian Government as Chair of the Australian Heritage Council.^[30] Baillieu is Patron of a number of groups including Multicultural Arts Victoria,^[31] Public Record Office of Victoria, The Sovereign Hill Museums Association,^[32] Queenscliffe Historical Museum,^[33] Cancer Council Victoria: Relay for Life, Hawthorn^[34] and the Australia India Chamber of Commerce.^[35] Ballieu is also Chieftain of the Victorian Highland Pipe Band Association.^[36]