2024 Victorian Liberal Party Leadership Spill

The 2024 Victorian Liberal Party leadership spill took place on 27 December 2024 to elect the leader of the Victorian Liberal Party and, ex officio, Leader of the Opposition. Incumbent leader John Pesutto lost a spill motion and was replaced by Brad Battin in the subsequent leadership election.

The spill occurred two weeks after the Federal Court ruled Pesutto had defamed Independent Liberal MP Moira Deeming, who was expelled from the Liberal party room in 2023 after attending an anti-trans rally that had also been attended by a neo-Nazi group.

The positions of deputy leader, leader in the Legislative Council and deputy leader in the Legislative Council were also spilled. Sam Groth was elected unopposed to the deputy leadership after David Southwick stood down, David Davis took over from Georgie Crozier as Legislative Council leader after she did not recontest, and Evan Mulholland was returned as Legislative Council deputy leader after defeating challenger Bev McArthur by two votes.

Background

2022 leadership election

Following the Liberal−National Coalition's defeat at the 2022 Victorian state election, Matthew Guy announced he would resign as Liberal leader. At a leadership election on 8 December 2022, John Pesutto − who had been elected as the member for Hawthorn at the state election − defeated Brad Battin, the member for Berwick, by 17 votes to 16.

Deeming expulsion and defamation case

On 18 March 2023, Liberal MP Moira Deeming spoke at a anti-trans rally. The rally was also attended by the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network (NSN) and its leader Thomas Sewell.

In a public statement, Pesutto described Deeming's position as "untenable" due to her "involvement in organising, promoting and participating in a rally with speakers and other organisers who themselves have been publicly associated with far right-wing extremist groups including neo-Nazi activists". He then moved to expel her from the Liberal party room.

Deeming subsequently threatened to sue Pesutto for defamation over his comments. On 12 May 2023, Liberal MPs voted 19 votes to 11 to expel her from the party room. Deeming moved to the crossbench and sat as an Independent Liberal.

In December 2023, after months of attempted mediation failed, Deeming filled a civil complaint against Pesutto, saying that she had been falsely accused of being an associate of "neo-Nazi sympathisers and extremists". Pesutto denied Deeming's claims, stating that he had never called her a "neo-Nazi, white supremacist or anything similar".

Defamation verdict and Deeming readmission vote

On 12 December 2024, the Federal Court of Australia ruled that Pesutto had defamed Deeming, and he was ordered to pay her $300,000. Pesutto said he was "very disappointed" by the verdict, but would not step down as leader. One day later, Nepean MP Sam Groth resigned from the shadow ministry, saying that "in good conscience, e couldno longer continue to serve" in his roles as Shadow Minister for Youth and Shadow Minister for Tourism, Sport and Events.

A vote was held on 20 December 2024 on a motion to readmit Deeming to the Liberal party room. The vote was tied at 14−14 (with two MPs absent) and Pesutto used his casting vote to break the tie, although he said it was technically not needed because the motion required an "absolute majority" of 16 out of 30 MPs to pass.

Spill announced

On 22 December 2024, Pesutto called a second meeting to discuss readmitting Deeming, which would be held on 15 January 2025. He said that since the meeting on 20 December, "it has become clear that there is now a definite absolute majority of my colleagues who want this issue resolved". Pesutto apologised to Deeming in his statement, and stated that there was a need for the Liberals to concentrate on the upcoming by-elections in Prahran and Werribee.

Several hours later, ''The Age'' reported that Pesutto was going to face a leadership challenge from Brad Battin on 27 December 2024. A letter calling for a special meeting was signed by Battin, Groth, James Newbury, Bridget Vallence and Richard Riordan. The meeting will bring forward the discussion on Deeming's readmission – instead of it happening in January 2025 – and is also expected to result in a spill occurring.

On 24 December (Christmas Eve), Pesutto emailed Liberal MPs to inform them that he would allow members to vote remotely at the meeting, with Cindy McLeish and Nick McGowan unable to attend in-person. Newbury accused Pesutto of breaching the party's constitution in favour of his personal interests, as McLeish was known to be a supporter of Pesutto in the past. ''The Australian'' reported on 26 December that Battin had called Pesutto to inform him that he would challenge for the leadership. Kew MP Jess Wilson announced publicly on the same day that if a spill motion was successful, she would contest the leadership. Mornington MP Chris Crewther revealed on 27 December, the day of the spill, that he would also contest the leadership.

Candidates

Leader

Nominated

Withdrew

Speculated

Deputy leader

Nominated

Withdrew

Speculated

Legislative Council leader

Declared

Withdrew

Legislative Council deputy leader

Declared

Speculated

Results

Spill motion

Leader

In the first round of voting, Liberal MPs each had two votes.

Deputy leader

Legislative Council leader

Legislative Council deputy leader

Notes

References

{{Leadership spills and motions in Victoria

LiberalVictoria
Liberal Party of Australia leadership spills
LiberalVictoria
Liberal