Victorian Liberals face leadership spill as Jess Wilson poised to become Party’s first female leader
Victorian Liberals could appoint their first female leader as the beleaguered party eyes the next state election.
Less than a year after Brad Battin was chosen to head the party, the Opposition Leader could face a partyroom spill as soon as Tuesday morning, with a challenge expected from Kew MP Jess Wilson, a former staffer to ex-federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
Mr Battin was visited by a delegation of Liberal MPs who told him he had lost partyroom support, with others then calling him to deliver the same message.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Deputy Liberal leader Sam Groth said Mr Battin “absolutely” remained leader when asked by Channel Nine on Monday night, but that “only time will tell” if he would continue in the top job.
Mr Groth’s position would also be opened to a vote if the leadership is spilled.
The Victorian Opposition has slipped in recent polls despite the three-term Labor Government grappling with soaring crime and state debt.
Internal tensions have simmered since a crushing defeat at the 2022 election, spilling into a defamation lawsuit by Liberal MP Moira Deeming against the party’s previous leader John Pesutto.
The party would have its fifth leader since September 2021 if Mr Battin were to fall.
The moves among Victorian Liberals come after their federal counterparts abandoned the party’s net-zero emissions policy, stoking speculation of a challenge against leader Sussan Ley.
