The Victorian Liberals have booted their leader, making history by electing a woman to head the party for the first time, almost a year out from heading to the polls.
Less than a year after rising to the top job, state Opposition leader Brad Battin lost the leadership to Kew MP Jess Wilson, 35, on Tuesday morning after a successful spill.
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.
Wilson, a former staffer to ex-federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg, arrived at the meeting flanked by party members Brad Rowswell and Evan Mulholland.
Battin walked into the party room alone and spoke to the media briefly after the spill.
"I stand continuously proud in the role that I've done and the things that I've done for the community," Battin told reporters.
Brad Battin said the Victorian Liberal Party now had a "clear path to go towards the next election". Source: AAP / Nadir Kinani
Hawthorn MP John Pesutto, who was dumped in December to make way for Battin, wouldn't say if he supported the leader.
"I just want to see us make a decision today and move towards the next election," he said.
"Because at the end of the day, this is all about the Victorian people."
Warrandyte MP Nicole Werner repeatedly said she supported the leader, while former opposition leader Michael O'Brien said it was "blue skies".
Retiring party stalwart Kim Wells said: "I think there's been a lot of unfortunate mistakes to take place over the last few months."
Support for the Victorian opposition had slipped in recent polls and tensions within the party have simmered since a crushing defeat at the 2022 election, spilling into a defamation lawsuit by Liberal MP Moira Deeming against Pesutto.
The moves among Victorian Liberals come after their federal counterparts abandoned the party's net zero emissions policy, stoking speculation of a challenge against leader Sussan Ley.
Wilson marks the party's fifth leader since September 2021.
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