The Victorian Liberals have booted their leader, making history by electing a woman to head the party for the first time, with just over a year before the state heads to the polls.
State Opposition leader Brad Battin lost the leadership to Kew MP Jess Wilson on Tuesday morning after a successful spill. The 35-year-old Wilson is the state party's third leader in 11 months after John Pesutto was dumped and replaced by Battin in late December.
A delegation of Liberal MPs visited Battin on Monday afternoon and told him he had lost party room support, with others then calling him to deliver the same message.
Battin did not nominate after losing the spill motion, paving the way for Wilson to be elected unopposed.
"The vote didn't go my way," he told reporters.
"I stand continuously proud in the role that I've done and the things that I've done for the community.
"The Victorian Liberal Party now has a very clear path to go towards the next election."
Dumped leader Brad Battin said the Victorian Liberals now had a "clear path to go towards the next election". Source: AAP / Joel Carrett
Wilson is a former staffer to ex-federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg and has previous experience as a Business Council of Australia executive. She was immediately elevated to the key portfolio of education after entering parliament in 2022.
The state Coalition will need to gain at least 17 extra seats to form a majority government.
The Liberals and Nationals have been out of power in Victoria for all but four years since the turn of the century.
Tensions within the party have simmered since a crushing defeat at the 2022 election, spilling into a defamation lawsuit launched by Liberal MP Moira Deeming against Pesutto.
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