Liberals seek fresh face to rise out of poll doldrums
The 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 elected party leader, the opposition leader could face a leak in the party room on Tuesday morning and an expected challenge from Kew MP Jess Wilson, a former staffer of former federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
A delegation of Liberal MPs who visited Mr Battin told him he had lost party room support, while others called on him to deliver the same message.
Deputy Liberal leader Sam Groth told Channel Nine’s question on Monday night that Mr Battin “absolutely” remains leader but “only time will tell” whether he will continue in the top job.
If the leadership dissolves, Mr. Groth’s position would also be put to a vote.
The Victorian opposition has lost ground in recent polls despite a three-term Labor government grappling with rising crime and government debt.
Internal tensions have escalated since the crushing defeat in the 2022 election and have spilled over into Liberal MP Moira Deeming’s defamation case against the party’s previous leader, John Pesutto.
If Mr Battin falls, the party will have its fifth leader since September 2021.
The moves among Victorian Liberals come after their federal counterparts abandoned the party’s net-zero emissions policy, fueling speculation of a challenge to leader Sussan Ley.
