Robert Doyle

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Robert Doyle

Robert Doyle (born May 20, 1953) is an Australian politician. He had been the Opposition Leader of Victoria since 2002, representing the Liberal Party of Australia. On May 4, 2006 Doyle announced his resignation as Leader and from State Parliament.

Doyle was born in Melbourne, and went through secondary school in the regional city of Geelong. He graduated from Monash University in 1977, and the following year, began work as a teacher, at Geelong College, his alma mater. In 1982, he moved back to Melbourne, working as a departmental head at Lauriston Girls' School. After three years, he again changed schools, becoming a senior administrator and English teacher at Scotch College.

At the 1992 state election, Doyle succeeded in winning Liberal preselection for the "safe" electorate of Malvern by defeating Geoff Leigh. The Liberal Party, under Jeff Kennett, won government, defeating Joan Kirner. Following the election, Doyle was immediately placed on the Crime Prevention Committee, and several other taskforces, particularly in the area of health. In April 1996, Doyle was promoted to the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Human Services.

The Kennett government suffered defeat at the 1999 election, and Kennett himself resigned soon afterwards. Kennett's Health Minister, Denis Napthine, became leader, and Doyle took Napthine's place, becoming the opposition's health spokesperson.

By 2002, the Liberal Party, which had been almost unbeatable under Kennett, was flagging in the polls, and was expected to lose the election due later that year. Doyle successfully challenged Napthine for the leadership of the state Liberal Party, claiming that the party was “facing political oblivion” if it stayed under Napthine’s leadership. [We're facing oblivion: Doyle], The Age, 16 August 2002

He lost the 2004 election by a large margin, seen by many as Liberal Party's worst defeat in its history in Victoria. The party lost control of the Legislative Council for only the second time in Victorian parliamentary history and held only 17 of the 88 lower house seats. The campaign suffered a large blow when the party's Treasurer, Robert Dean, was deemed ineligible to stand because he was not on the electoral roll.

Following the decision of Shadow Minister Victor Perton, and Deputy Leader Phil Honeywood to resign, and the further resignation of his Chief of Staff and Direct of Communications, debate as to Doyle's future was re-ignited. Many of Doyle's key supporters including Upper House MPs Andrea Coote and Phil Davis and Michael Kroger and Helen Kroger eventually withdrew their support for him. It was also reported that Doyle's personal approval rating had dropped to 15 per cent. On 4 May 2006, Doyle announced his resignation as both Opposition Leader and MP for Malvern, stating that "I have given my best - it was not enough" and that the move would give the party the "best chance of electoral success". [Doyle: my best not enough], The Age, 4 May 2006

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