There are three certainties in Victorian life: death, (high) taxes, and the Liberal Party self-immolating just as they begin to look respectable again.

Once again, we party members are being treated with contempt.

Yesterday, in a shock to many, out of nowhere Brad Battin was rolled for Jess Wilson, a young former staffer.

First, members have been asked to foot the legal bill for unnecessary litigation, now they are being battered from pillar to post as personalities host a soap opera on the taxpayer’s dime.

Wilson came out of the spill to a press conference in which she announced no new policy ideas, and I’m still confused as to what the point of the change was.

Battin had Labor on the ropes.

Just the previous week he had them making crime policy on the run, printing posters before even writing legislation.

Guys, what are we doing?

During the worst crime crisis in the state’s history – when crime even dominated ABC talkback radio on a daily basis – we had a former police officer as our leader.

The ship was turning around.

Recent polling conducted just prior to the spill showed Battin had achieved a significant six-point swing, putting the party ahead of Labor on a 2PP basis and was ahead on preferred premier

Under Brad’s leadership we came within spitting distance of taking Labor heartland during the Werribee by-election earlier this year with a 10-point 2PP swing towards us.

Maybe in the end Brad was too authentic.

After all, he’d had a number of real jobs (shock horror), from McDonald’s to retail, real estate and construction, before serving his state as a VicPol Senior Constable, and running a small business.

He didn’t come from the Liberal aristocracy; he wasn’t a lifetime staffer. He didn’t go to the fancy high schools.

As far as I can tell, his only crime was being a Geelong supporter.

To argue Brad was incapable of taking Labor to task on the economy is completely baseless and impossible to prove now that he is gone.

If I were a Liberal MP in Parliament I would have immediately regretted what I’d done when I watched his emotional final press conference in which he didn’t talk about himself – he talked about the people of Victoria whom Labor has failed.

The former MP for Kew, Tim Smith, said the party is now more of a left-leaning rabble than ever, and he’s not wrong. Wilson has supported the Voice and Net Zero in the past.

If one were to describe her ideology, on the face of it she sounds a perfect candidate for the Labor Party, appearing to chase the Green-Teal vote, instead of the working-class Labor vote they were beginning to win.

Would have been nice if, instead of taking lessons from Labor on identity politics, they took lessons from Jacinta Allan in presenting a united front.

This whole episode will only further erode trust between colleagues. Two of the instigators of the spill less than 12 months ago supported Battin.

Now we have the fourth leader in four years.

3AW’s Tom Elliott nailed it, saying the opposition in this state is just plain mad, and spends too much time arguing with themselves.

‘Anybody with half a brain looking at what the Liberal party is doing would say they are not fit to govern Victoria. How is it that 11 months ago Battin was ‘the man’ and suddenly he isn’t ‘the man’?’

Suppose Wilson goes on to win – which I hope she does – how can she be sure she won’t suffer the same unceremonious fate?

The precedent has been set.

Now not even poor polling is needed to knife a leader; it just depends on what direction the wind is blowing on the day.

Only one thing is for sure to come from this: that’s an increase in One Nation’s primary vote, with both the major parties absorbed in their own brilliance.

Jess, I wish you the best, but regret that once again the headlines are dominated by Liberal infighting. Start by committing to scrap the most expensive white elephant rail project in Australia’s history.

Brad, you were a class act and, on a personal level, a genuinely authentic bloke. I’m still keen to grab that beer with you.