Tennis star Liberal MP denies taxpayer-funded car rort

A tennis ace turned Liberal hot shot is staring down calls to quit, rejecting allegations of a drunken taxpayer-funded car rort.

Victorian Liberal deputy Sam Groth used then-opposition upper house leader Georgie Crozier’s chauffeur-driven vehicle to take him and his wife home from the Australian Open in January 2024.

The trip from Melbourne Park to Rye on the Mornington Peninsula is about 100km.

The former tennis player, who reached a career high singles ranking of world No.53 in 2015, had earlier hosted a political fundraiser with Nationals MP Jade Benham.

Mr Groth and Ms Benham, along with their respective spouses, then entered a party zone inside the tennis precinct, the Herald Sun reports.

The former Davis Cup representative was accused of getting “smashed” and misleading Ms Crozier by telling her he wanted to borrow the car for a work event.

He was shadow minister for tourism, sport and events at the time and elected the party’s deputy leader in December after John Pesutto lost the leadership to Brad Battin.

In a statement on Friday, Mr Groth confirmed he attended the event in both an official and personal capacity.

“I was at the event to meet various stakeholders and attend meetings before being part of a fundraising initiative,” he said.

“The accusations around intoxication are wrong.”

Mr Groth argued it was all officially disclosed and he had “nothing to hide”, but the travel allowance entry on his register of interest does not specifically mention the fundraiser.

The Nepean MP said he looked forward to continuing his work.

Mr Battin firmly stood by his deputy when asked if he should resign.

“I’m confident that Sam has followed the rules,” he told reporters on Friday.

“Going to the events does pass the pub test.”

Victoria’s ministerial code of conduct says public resources must not be used for “improper personal or private advantage or benefit for themselves or any other person”, or for political party purposes.

“Ministers must only use public resources in connection with public duties and must not waste public resources,” it reads.

One senior Liberal said Mr Groth’s actions didn’t pass the “pub test” - directly contradicting Mr Battin - and questioned how he could continue as deputy leader.

“It’s unacceptable full stop,” they told AAP.

“How can he go on when all it will do is give Labor an instant response every time we criticise the government for waste and mismanagement.”

Another senior Liberal said “obfuscation was not an answer” and Mr Groth should investigate repaying the cost of the trip.

The travel expenses drama dredges up memories of the Patch and Ted scandal that dogged the Victorian Labor government in its first term.

In 2016, Labor MP Steve Herbert resigned as training and skills minister after using his taxpayer-funded driver to chauffeur his two dogs, Patch and Ted, between his Melbourne and Trentham homes.

The dogs were driven without Mr Herbert in the car and he paid back $192.80 in travel expenses, before quitting parliament in 2017.

The Victorian Liberals are already dealing with the internal fallout of first-term MP Moira Deeming’s defamation trial victory over Mr Pesutto.

Mrs Deeming said she was preparing to file a bankruptcy notice against Mr Pesutto on Friday after a court ordered him to pay $2.3 million in legal costs.

The proceedings would leave Mr Pesutto with 21 days to pay up or declare bankruptcy, forcing him to leave parliament and triggering a by-election in his marginal seat of Hawthorn in Melbourne’s east.