An impassioned Garner Smith has rubbished claims from former Victorian Roads Minister Bill Baxter he has been embellishing the role he had while working in Mr Baxter’s office during the ’90s for political gain, implying the effects of ageing were catching up with his former boss.

One Nation’s Murray Plains candidate candidate had posted on social media and commissioned advertisements where he addressed the condition of the state’s roads, claiming ‘when (he) was a ministerial advisor for roads (the level of damage to the roads) was unacceptable.’

Following those claims and an appearance on 60 Minutes last Sunday, Mr Baxter said he was made aware of what Mr Smith had been claiming and wanted to set the record straight.

“Garner either has a very poor recollection or he has tickets on himself, or both,” Mr Baxter said.

“He was the most junior member of my staff. His influence on policy formulation was minimal.

“His duties amounted to little more than accompanying me on site visits to act as a ‘gofer’.

“I am surprised and a bit disappointed that, after all these years, he is attempting to embellish what was in reality a very minor role in a busy Ministerial office.”

Mr Smith did not pull any punches in his response, clarifying he was actually a ministerial advisor, admonishing the former minister and calling the comments ‘gutter politics’.

“It is very unfortunate that age has caught up with Bill Baxter and (brought) him to the point where he cannot remember the functioning of his own office, but that’s what happens to people,” Mr Smith said.

“It’s most disappointing he would betray the people who worked for him to benefit a party, the National Party, which has betrayed the people of Murray Plains (a) betrayal which extends to Bill Baxter.”

Mr Smith repudiated Mr Baxter’s claims he was the most junior staffer, explaining there were five staff at the time he worked in the office and he took over the position of the second ministerial advisor.

“I may have been junior to (the other advisor) but there were administration ladies and a receptionist, so (me taking over as the second advisor) left me at number three for starters,” he said.

“I was involved every time they had a CityLink briefing with the CityLink authority at the ministerial office.

“I was in on Vic Roads briefings, every briefing.

“I went around representing the minister as an advisor going to meetings, including one where they were proposing to put an oil rig offshore in the Bass Strait.”

When asked if he disputed Mr Smith’s claim he was a ministerial advisor, Mr Baxter said he was unable to recall the precise job title given Mr Smith had worked in his office 30 years ago.

“It is possible (his position) was “ministerial advisor” but I doubt it,“ Mr Baxter said.

“I certainly did not consider him in that light.”

Mr Smith said he hadn’t ever claimed to have formulated major parts of the Kennett Government’s roads policy and said Mr Baxter was deliberately misinterpreting his ads.

“What actually am I claiming? Do you think (the current conditions of the roads) would have been acceptable back then,” he said.

“As a ministerial office, we wouldn’t have considered it acceptable and we’d have put in a please explain to the department or Vic Roads... because it was unacceptable then.

“I actually think he’s flat out lying.

“He’s just lying, and the National Party have probably put him up to it.

“If he has said those things, then his standing in my opinion has gone from sky-high to rock-bottom.”

“He has fundamentally damaged his legacy by allowing himself to be pressured into distributing lies for political gain.”

The Victorian Election will be held on November 28.

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