In a historic shake-up less than a year before Victorians head to the polls, the Victorian Liberal Party has ousted its leader, Brad Battin and elected Kew MP Jess Wilson as its new leader — the first woman to lead the party in its 71-year history.
The Liberal Party’s new leadership team announced:
Jess Wilson has been elected as Leader, with Sam Groth serving as her Deputy.
In the Upper House, Bev McArthur takes on the role of Leader, with Evan Mulholland as her Deputy.
The spill was triggered on Tuesday morning after Battin, who took over the Opposition leadership in December 2024 following John Pesutto’s resignation, lost the confidence of his party room.
Multiple Liberal MPs visited Mr Battin on Monday afternoon to inform him that he no longer held majority support. Several more contacted him later that evening with the same message, paving the way for a spill motion and leadership vote the next morning.
Thirty-five-year-old Ms Wilson, considered a rising star in the party, won the vote and will now lead the Liberals into the 2026 state election.
Battin’s leadership lasted just under 12 months and was marked by internal tensions, poor polling, and ongoing concerns about the Opposition’s public visibility.
Although he attempted to rally MPs in recent weeks, senior colleagues said they believed the party risked going into the election without a clear message or competitive momentum if a change was not made.
The decisive shift followed growing pressure from within the party to elevate fresh leadership in time to reset its election strategy before November 2026.
Battin was gracious in accepting his fate.
Wilson, a former political adviser and executive at the Business Council of Australia, entered Parliament in 2022 and quickly rose through the Opposition ranks, serving as Shadow Minister for Finance, Economic Development, and Gender Equality.
Her election as leader marks the first time a woman has held the top job in the Victorian Liberal Party since its formation in 1954.
In a brief statement to the media after the party-room meeting, Ms Wilson said she was “honoured to be entrusted” with leading the party into the next election.
“Victorians deserve a strong, credible Opposition and a real alternative government,” she said.
“My focus will be on economic responsibility, restoring integrity, and delivering a vision for a better Victoria.”
The spill also raises questions about the future of several shadow ministers aligned with Mr Battin, though the party has not yet announced any frontbench changes.
Senior Liberal sources said the new leadership would prioritise:
- Rebuilding the party’s public standing
- unifying internal factions
- sharpening its policy platform on cost-of-living, health, and crime
- improving outreach to multicultural communities and women voters
With the next state election now less than a year away, the Victorian Liberals will move quickly to reset their campaign direction under Ms Wilson’s leadership.
The Allan Government has not yet commented on the leadership change, though senior Labor figures privately noted that a late pre-election leadership switch is “rare and risky”.
Ms Wilson will face her first major test when Parliament returns next week.
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