Battin Faces Leadership Coup

Less than a year after toppling John Pesutto for the Liberal leadership, Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin may now face the same fate, with internal moves revealed on 17 November.

It’s widely expected that Shadow Treasurer Jess Wilson will nominate for the leadership when the party meets on Tuesday morning.

With the next Victorian state election set for 28 November 2026, just over a year away, the Liberals are searching for a leader who can beat Premier Jacinta Allan, who is struggling to contain Victoria’s escalating crime crisis.

Jess Wilson, the 35-year-old Kew MP, has quickly emerged as the frontrunner if a spill occurs. A former policy adviser and business advocate, Wilson has gained strong support from younger, metropolitan Liberals who want to reposition the party before voters return to the polls.

Her high-profile role as Shadow Treasurer has strengthened her credentials, and insiders say she is pitching herself as a reset candidate who can broaden the party’s reach beyond its traditional base and reconnect with communities that have steadily drifted away from the Liberals.

Battin has heavily targeted Melbourne’s west — including Wyndham — as a crucial growth corridor, especially after February’s Werribee by-election suggested the region’s long-held Labor strongholds may no longer be unshakeable.

One of his first moves after taking the leadership was readmitting Moira Deeming to the party room and appointing her as Leader’s Representative to the Western Suburbs, signalling that he saw her as central to rebuilding the Liberal vote in the west.

But with a leadership challenge looming, her position is uncertain. Despite her recent promotion, Deeming could face demotion or reassignment in the coming days — and many in Wyndham are unsure what this power struggle will mean for the Liberals’ strategy across the west.