Victoria’s Liberals are preparing for another leadership change with just 12 months to go until the state election.
Opposition leader Brad Battin is facing a leadership spill less than a year after taking the top job, with a challenge expected from Kew MP Jess Wilson.
That could come as early as Tuesday morning when a Liberal party room meeting is scheduled to be held.
Wilson, a former staffer to the ex-Liberal treasurer Josh Frydenberg and a Business Council of Australia executive, would become the first female leader of the Victorian Liberals if successful.
A delegation of Victorian Liberal MPs visited Battin on Monday to inform him he had lost the support of the party room, with others then calling him to say the same.
“I’d be very surprised if Brad doesn’t step down before (Tuesday),” one Liberal source told the Australian Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
During a Monday night interview with Channel Nine, Sam Groth, the deputy leader, confirmed that Battin remains the leader of the party, stating “absolutely” when asked about his position.
There is speculation that Jess Wilson could potentially become the first female leader of the Victorian Liberals, marking a significant milestone for the party.
When questioned about his future as leader, Groth responded with a cautious “only time will tell,” leaving room for uncertainty.
If Battin were to fall, the party would have its fifth leader since September 2021.
The Victorian machinations follow increasing speculation federal leader Sussan Ley could face a challenge, after internal pressure to ditch the party’s net-zero emissions policy.
Ley and the federal coalition formally abandoned that policy over the weekend.
