Leaked tape recording reveals deep Liberal Party divisions Alison Caldwell reported this story on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 18:26:00 Listen to MP3 of this story (minutes) | MP3 DOWNLOAD MARK COLVIN: For a Victorian State Government already lagging in the polls and facing an election in five months, the explosion of talk about disunity could hardly have been worse timed.

In a leaked tape, the former premier Ted Baillieu discusses factional manoeuvring over pre-selections and criticises other Liberals including a western suburbs MP and his "crazy mates".

He was speaking to a journalist from newspaper, whose editor has told PM that her digital recorder was stolen.

He says the matter will soon be in the hands of Police.

Alison Caldwell reports.

ALISON CALDWELL: The Napthine Government has been plunged back into damage control after the very public airing of a tape containing explosive material about the deep divisions in the Victorian Liberal Party.

The tape recording was emailed to Liberal Party members from a fake email address.

The tape is a recording of a conversation between former premier Ted Baillieu and political reporter with The Age Farrah Tomazin.

On the tape Ted Baillieu makes disparaging remarks about several of his fellow Liberal MPs, including anti-abortion campaigner and his - quote "crazy mates". He belittles backbencher Michael Gidley.

On the tape Mr Baillieu says the rogue MP for Frankston was sponsored into his position by Bernie Finn and others, including a very senior member of the Liberal Party who is very close to Federal Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews.

Andrew Holden is the editor of the Age newspaper, he says he's appalled by the leak.

ANDREW HOLDEN: It was a confidential conversation between Farrah Tomazin and Ted Baillieu, it was purely as background for fire in her reporting as the state political editor for the Sunday Age.

ALISON CALDWELL: How do you think the conversation got into the hands of other?

ANDREW HOLDEN: We're not entirely sure, that's what deeply concerns us, what we do know is that Farrah's digital tape recorder went missing a number of days after the State Budget, she at the time, as I think anybody would felt that she'd simply mislaid the tape recorder, certainly when you see the way it's been misused you start to wonder whether there was sinister motives. Regardless of that though, I mean the fundamental fact is somebody's got hold of this tape recorder, it has a Fairfax media sticker on the back so it's very clear who it belongs to. They've selected one interview off that recorder and they've decided to release it in a public way and that appals me to be honest.

ALISON CALDWELL: What's your view of the person who did this in terms of using your material in a Liberal party campaign of some sort to get Ted Baillieu?

ANDREW HOLDEN: It's clearly a dirty tricks campaign, but I think what disappoints me most is to see a couple of Age journalists dragged into that and I find that very disappointing.

ALISON CALDWELL: Will you take this to the police?

ANDREW HOLDEN: We'll certainly record the fact that the tape recorder has gone missing and record that with police and just let them know that we're concerned as to how it's been misused.

ALISON CALDWELL: The Premier wouldn't discuss the tape at a press conference this afternoon.

DENIS NAPTHINE: Well these are matters for Ted Baillieu, if you've got questions about what Ted Baillieu said, talk to Ted Baillieu.

ALISON CALDWELL: Asked if he leads a united government Premier Napthine had this to say.

DENIS NAPTHINE: We lead a government that's very committed to getting on with governing for all Victorians. Building the East West Link, building the Rail Link and building the Airport Rail Link. We're about governing for all Victorians, we're not going to be distracted by these sideshows, we're getting on with governing for all Victorians,

ALISON CALDWELL: Fairfax editor Andrew Holden apologised to Ted Baillieu on the telephone this morning. For his part Ted Baillieu isn't commenting.

MARK COLVIN: Alison Caldwell.