Victorian Liberal party in turmoil as MP denies colleague’s accusations of assault | Victoria
A female Victorian Liberal MP has accused a member of her party room of assaulting her at a community event, throwing the party into turmoil just five months before a state election.
Sources close to the accused MP said that he vehemently denied the allegation and was considering filing a libel case against his colleague.
The Guardian chose not to name the Australian MPs. Both could be reached for comment.
CCTV footage of the incident circulated online and was seen by Guardian Australia.
Victoria police have confirmed they are investigating reports that a man assaulted a woman at an event last month.
The statement said, “After the incident, the woman left the area and did not require medical attention. The incident was reported to the police on June 16.”
“The investigation into the incident is ongoing and police believe the people involved knew each other.”
Guardian Australia understands the woman first approached the party with this allegation before taking the matter to the police.
Opposition leader Jess Wilson said it would be inappropriate to comment as the matter was subject to a police investigation.
“Like all other Victorians, the parties involved deserve due process, the presumption of innocence and their privacy respected during this investigation,” Wilson said in a statement on Thursday.
“I remain focused on the issues that matter to Victorians and gaining their trust so our state can get off to a fresh start in November.”
Attorney General Sonya Kilkenny said in a statement that Wilson “must answer” 10 questions about the allegations; these included “whether it was appropriate for a member of his group to be present in the party room when it was the subject of a police complaint.”
Kilkenny also asked whether the matter had been referred to the Parliamentary Workplace Standards and Integrity Committee.
The commission was set up by the Labor government in late 2024 to investigate allegations of misconduct involving members of parliament. It was not stated whether he received a referral or investigated.
The commission said the approach “protects the integrity of our processes and ensures procedural fairness for all parties involved”.
With just five months to go before the election, the claim will put pressure on Wilson, who, after being appointed leader in November, has managed to stabilize the Liberal party, which has endured years of infighting between moderate and more conservative factions.
The party also faces a serious challenge from the rise of One Nation, which is jeopardizing its chances of forming a majority government.
Last week Wilson embarked on a five-week tour of each of the state’s 88 electorates to prepare the Coalition to govern. He had planned to be in Melbourne on Thursday morning and then visit regional Victoria, but it is understood his media events will not go ahead.
