The Three Kingmakers

Kennett and Bracks discuss the state of the parties and why Labor, other than during the Kennett reign and a brief four-year period earlier this decade, has dominated Victorian election results over the past 40 years. They also talk about what the biggest issues facing the state are today, and clash over the state’s financial situation  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've gone inside the bunker during the final days of the Kennett government. So just how close did Jeff Kennett come to a return during the reign of Steve Bracks?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a brutal election in 1999, the result wasn't immediately clear and Victoria was in limbo. But three independents emerged as political kingmakers. Jeff Kennett and Steve Bracks, former state premiers, reunite to remember that tense time, plus interviews with two of the crucial independents, Craig Ingram and Russell Savage.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the middle of the campaigning, a bombshell broke. The independent candidate for Frankston East has died. It had the potential to completely reshape the 1999 election, along with counting in another knife-edge seat that relied on overseas postal votes. And what did Billy Brownless and the Geelong Football Club have to do with it all?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did it happen? While many in the city were in lock step with the charismatic premier and his dream for the future, enthusiasm in regional cities was starting to wane - something the new energetic Labor leader Steve Bracks and his predecessor John Brumby exploited. What turned the tide from the perspective of the leaders?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was one of the biggest upsets in Australian political history. No one expected this result - even Steve Bracks and Jeff Kennett. 20 years on, they reveal what they thought would happen, and what election night was like when no one knew who would form government. Read the companion article for video and more at heraldsun.com.au.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming soon, a new podcast series by the Herald Sun  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.