Whether he will be granted that honour by the voters of Victoria today remains to be seen, with pollsters and bookies predicting that his rival Daniel Andrews will be victorious.

Dr Napthine’s predecessor Ted Baillieu pulled off a stunning and unexpected win against Labor incumbent John Brumby four years ago, but then disappointingly failed to lead as the party was beset by internal problems.

The Liberal hierarchy seconded Dr Napthine into the role after Mr Baillieu’s resignation and despite even worse internal issues thanks to maverick Frankston MP Geoff Shaw, the new premier managed to forge ahead with a dynamic agenda, the showpiece being the much-needed East West Link to unclog Melbourne’s gridlock.

Analysis by Fairfax Media also indicates that the Coalition’s policies on jobs and the economy, roads, public transport, planning, law and order and community trump those offered by Labor. Furthermore, Dr Napthine has succeeded in stabilising the party in terms of its fiscal management and looks set to achieve the all-important budget surplus into the future.

Although some of the Premier’s ministers have been disappointing, Matthew Guy, Mary Wooldridge and Michael O’Brien have been strong performers and can form the backbone of a strong Coalition cabinet in Spring Street for the next four years.

While Mr Andrews has out-campaigned the Coalition over the past few weeks, the level of pork-barrelling in marginal seats has been shamefully cynical and he may also live to regret threatening to pull the plug on the East West Link.

Locally, Andrews has been missing in action. Despite this, Labor candidate Roy Reekie has run a steady campaign against the odds in a rusted-on conservative electorate that will most certainly return Dr Napthine to his seat of South West Coast today.

The Standard believes it is in Victoria’s best interests to return the Coalition for another term.