Brad Battin wins vote to become Liberal leader

Former tennis star Sam Groth was elected unopposed as deputy Liberal leader, replacing David Southwick, while former health minister David Davis was selected to replace Georgie Crozier as upper house leader, also unopposed.

Evan Mulholland will continue to serve as deputy leader in the upper house, the sole contested win for the moderates on Friday. He won 15 votes to 13 against Western Victoria MP Beverley McArthur.

Moira Deeming re-entering the party room on Friday. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

All four members of the new Liberal parliamentary leadership team are men, meaning they will square up against Labor’s team of mostly women: Premier Jacinta Allan, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll, upper house leader Jaclyn Symes and deputy upper house leader Lizzie Blandthorn.

Battin had previously contested the leadership in 2021 but failed to oust former party leader Michael O’Brien and then lost to Pesutto by one vote shortly after the 2022 election loss.

The lack of remote voting meant Cindy McLeish, Nick McGowan and Richard Welch were unable to cast votes.

There was “overwhelming” support for Deeming to be readmitted to the party room, according to one Liberal source. She walked in shortly after the vote wearing a blue blazer, the traditional Liberal colour, but declined to comment as she walked past the press pack.

Brad Battin arriving at parliament on Friday.Credit: Eddie Jim

Her readmission meant she was able to take part in the vote to spill the leadership positions. MPs voted 18-10 in favour of a spill, according to two Liberal sources.

Wilson and her backers voted against the spill, the sources said.

Pesutto exited the room on Friday flanked by his fellow former leaders Crozier and Southwick.

“I congratulate Brad Battin, we’ve known each other for a long time,” Pesutto said.

Wilson said the party needed to come together after Friday’s vote and focus on winning the 2026 election.

Crewther put his hand up for the leadership just hours before the vote, emailing his colleagues at 12.47am to announce his candidacy.

“We have an opportunity to unite to defeat Labor, who have been in government for 21 out of the last 25 years,” Crewther wrote.

“We must bring together all our talents – and the strengths of every single MP – to do so. And we must have each other’s backs at all times. We must care for each other as we’d care for Victorians in government.

“Thank you for your consideration of my candidacy as we look to a better future for Victoria.”

Mornington MP Chris Crewther.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

Crewther is the former federal MP for Dunkley in Melbourne’s outer south-east, which he lost at the 2019 election after one term.

Battin phoned Pesutto on Thursday to confirm he would challenge his leadership at Friday’s meeting.

Wilson, a former executive director with the Business Council of Australia, threw her hat into the ring on Thursday afternoon, saying she wanted to offer her colleagues a choice should Pesutto be toppled. Wilson is from the party’s moderate wing, while Battin has allied himself with key conservatives.

Crewther is also considered an ally of conservative MPs.

Jess Wilson arrives at the meeting.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

While some in Labor circles were celebrating Battin’s ascension on Friday, suggesting the all-male leadership team and a possible shift to the right would make the Liberals less appealing to the Victorian electorate, others said the party shouldn’t be complacent.

“While watching the Liberals blow up, again, is an enjoyable pastime, the voters we are losing couldn’t give less of a f—,” said one Labor source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak frankly.

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“Anyone who thinks this will have any electoral impact doesn’t know how bad it is out there.”

A byelection in the seat of Werribee, in Melbourne’s outer west, will be held in the new year after the retirement of former treasurer Tim Pallas.

Asked on ABC Radio who she would prefer to run against, Premier Jacinta Allan said: “I’m going to leave the Liberal Party infighting to the Liberal Party.

“I’m absolutely focused on fires ... and those communities under threat, not what is going on in the divided Liberal party room today.”

A moderate Liberal, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss party matters, suggested that Battin would have been unhappy with Crewther’s eleventh-hour candidacy. But a conservative source later insisted that Crewther’s declaration was a ploy to knock out Wilson in the first round.

The leadership vote was an elimination-style showdown, with the candidate receiving the fewest votes knocked out of the race first, followed by another round of voting. But MPs were able to put two names on their first leadership ballot, meaning Battin’s supporters were able to swing in behind him and Crewther to humiliate Wilson.

From left: Joe McCracken, Nicole Werner, Sam Groth, Bridget Vallence, Richard Riordan and Brad Battin.Credit: Eddie Jim

Battin entered parliament on Friday flanked by backers Bridget Vallence, Groth, Nicole Werner, Joe McCracken and Richard Riordan.

Pesutto entered the party room last alongside long-time supporter Southwick. Wilson walked in with Brad Rowswell.

Crewther arrived with Ann-Marie Hermans and said he had been contemplating running for months.

“I wanted to give colleagues a choice. I hope that I can be a person that can bring all sides and all people together because if we don’t have that unity in the party going forward, we make it very hard to present ourselves as the alternative government,” he said.

Pesutto walked into parliament for Friday’s meeting alone but smiling.Credit: Eddie Jim

His opponent Battin was not fazed by Crewther’s midnight announcement. “It’s all part of the democratic process,” he said as he entered the party room with his backers.

A sole Deeming supporter perched on the steps of parliament said he was hopeful the exiled MP would be readmitted to the party.

Benambra MP Bill Tilley, one of the rebel MPs to call the meeting, said he was positive Battin would secure majority support.

“I hope everyone inside has brought a spare beanie and scarf because it’ll be frosty.”

An email from Pesutto to the party on Tuesday informing his colleagues he would allow members to vote remotely prompted speculation that McGowan and McLeish, who are overseas on holidays, would provide crucial votes to prevent the spill or vote for Wilson in the event of a successful motion.

That email drew the ire of former Pesutto ally and Brighton MP James Newbury, who publicly accused the opposition leader of breaching the party’s constitution.

With Kieran Rooney