Victoria’s Liberal opposition has dramatically voted banished colleague Moira Deeming back into the fold in a landslide 23 votes to 4 – and the party’s leader John Pesutto has been replaced.
Police spokesman Brad Battin will now lead the party after defeating first-term MP Jess Wilson and Mornington MP Chris Crewther, who both announced their candidacy for the top job.
Former party leader Michael O’Brien told reporters he would rather be at the cricket than in the party room but underscored the need for unity.
‘Unless we can win and hold government, then we can’t enhance the freedom, prosperity and security of Victorians or Australians,’ Mr O’Brien said.
‘So we just need to knuckle down, get behind whatever decision is made today and win the next election for Victoria.’
Former professional tennis player and Nepean MP Sam Groth was elected the party’s deputy leader.
Opposition financial spokeswoman Jess Wilson had announced her candidacy after a deal to become leadership frontrunner Brad Battin’s deputy came off the table.
‘The best way forward to defeat Jacinta Allan and Labor was with a unified leadership ticket,’ Ms Wilson said. Ms Wilson was knocked out in the first round of the leadership vote.
Moira Deeming has made a triumphant return to the parliamentary Liberal party room
Brad Battin (centre) is the Victorian opposition’s new leader
Mr Battin is a former police officer and one-time Bakers Delight franchisee.
Mr Pesutto’s job had been on shaky ground ever since he lost a defamation case brought against him by former colleague Moira Deeming.
A Federal Court judge found the Liberal leader defamed Mrs Deeming by implying she was associated with Nazis who gatecrashed a controversial Melbourne rally she was at and ordered he pay her $315,000 and costs.
Then came a shock when former tennis player-turned-politician Mr Groth quit his shadow cabinet post, citing his leader’s refusal to stand down after the court loss.
A party vote, brought on less than a week later to decide whether Mrs Deeming would be allowed back into the party, split the team down the centre with Mr Pesutto casting the tie-breaking vote to bar her from returning.
The Hawthorn MP deemed the matter ‘resolved’ only to propose a January 15 gathering to return the upper house MP to the fold a day later.
But that last bid to quell tensions fell flat, with senior MPs Mr Groth, Richard Riordan, James Newbury, Mr Battin and Bridget Vallence signing a petition to meet on Friday to bring the issue to a head.
The battle to helm Victoria’s opposition comes less than two years before a pivotal state election at which the Labor government – increasingly on the nose with voters – will seek a rare fourth term.