Editing Jeff Kennett (section)

===Rumoured returns to politics===
Following the Liberals' second successive defeat in the [[2002 Victorian state election|2002 election]], rumours began that Kennett was planning a comeback to politics. The issue came to a head in May 2006 after the sudden resignation of Kennett's successor, [[Robert Doyle]], when Kennett announced he would contemplate standing in a by-election for Doyle's old seat of [[electoral district of Malvern|Malvern]] and offering himself as party leader. His stance was supported by Prime Minister [[John Howard]], who rated him as the party's best hope to win the [[2006 Victorian state election|November 2006 state election]]. But within 24 hours Kennett announced he would not return to Parliament rather than running against [[Ted Baillieu]], whom Kennett had been grooming for the top post since 1999.<ref>{{cite news | last=Harrison | first=Dan | title=Kennett calls it quits | date=5 May 2006 | newspaper=The Age | url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/kennett-calls-it-quits/2006/05/05/1146335899587.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 | location=Melbourne | access-date=5 May 2006 | archive-date=8 July 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090708193221/http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/kennett-calls-it-quits/2006/05/05/1146335899587.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last=Silkstone | first=Dan | title=Jeff admits: I asked Ted the wrong question | date=6 May 2006 | newspaper=The Age | url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/jeff-admits-i-asked-ted-the-wrong-question/2006/05/05/1146335926876.html | location=Melbourne | access-date=5 May 2006 | archive-date=17 May 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060517104019/http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/jeff-admits-i-asked-ted-the-wrong-question/2006/05/05/1146335926876.html | url-status=live }}</ref> John Howard was reported to have been "embarrassed" by having publicly supported Kennett before his decision not to re-enter politics.<ref>{{cite news | last=Austin and Tomazin | first=Paul and Farrah | title=Kennett backdown infuriates Howard | date=6 May 2006 | newspaper=The Age | url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/kennett-backdown-infuriates-pm/2006/05/05/1146335926867.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 | location=Melbourne | access-date=5 May 2006 | archive-date=29 September 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929111315/http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/kennett-backdown-infuriates-pm/2006/05/05/1146335926867.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 | url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2008, it was rumoured that Kennett was planning to stand for Lord Mayor of Melbourne. Despite endorsing future Lord Mayor [[John So]] in the 2001 mayoral elections, Kennett was quoted as saying "I think the city is ready for a change". Kennett claimed he had been approached by "a range of interests" to run for the position, but in the end did not do so.<ref>{{cite news| last=Ferguson| first=John| title=Mayor race: Eddie McGuire says no, but Jeff Kennett might say yes| date=24 July 2008| newspaper=Herald Sun| url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24067822-661,00.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725083441/http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24067822-661,00.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=25 July 2008}}</ref> Former Liberal leader Robert Doyle ultimately won the election.