Opposition Leader Brad Battin staged a press conference at Parliament House, extending a hand to Victoria’s vibrant multicultural media sector and signalling a fresh strategic direction for the Liberal Party after its disappointing federal election showing.
Joined by Deputy Opposition Leader Sam Groth, Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs Evan Mulholland, Shadow Assistant Ministers Renee Heath (Multicultural Affairs) and Kim O’Keeffe (Regional Multicultural Affairs), Member for Nepean and Shadow Minister for Energy & Resources David Davis, and other frontbenchers, Mr Battin positioned the Liberal opposition as attuned to the needs of Victoria’s diverse communities.
Crime and Community Safety
A former police officer and Member for Berwick—one of the few Liberals holding a safe seat in Melbourne’s south-east—Battin opened with law and order, accusing the Jacinta-Labor government of leaving Victorians “unsafe in their own homes, shopping centres, cafés and on our streets.”
He vowed:
“When the Liberal Party comes to government, we will ensure the safety of people.
You break bail, you go to jail.”
Pressed on the risk of increased youth incarceration, Mr Battin stressed a “multilayered youth correction system,” noting:
“It can’t be a one-solution-fits-all approach.
We must give young offenders every chance to turn their lives around.”
A Fair Go on Homeownership
Homeownership took centre stage as Battin decried skyrocketing prices amid a cost-of-living squeeze. He pledged that under a Liberal government, first-home buyers purchasing homes up to $1 million would pay no land tax, saving them up to $55,000, roughly their deposit.
“Victorians deserve a fair go. This government has failed to plan and provide alternatives,”
he said.
Standing alongside his colleagues, Deputy Opposition Leader Sam Groth stressed the urgency of the Liberals’ outreach, saying, “We’ve heard loud and clear that too many communities feel left behind—so today we’re making a promise: your stories, your struggles and your successes will shape our agenda.”
Groth, the Member for Nepean, emphasised that engaging multicultural communities wasn’t just a symbolic gesture but “a foundational step to crafting policies that work for every family in Victoria, no matter where they come from.”
Keeping the Gas Tap On
Energy policy also featured prominently: Battin vowed to reverse Labor’s ban on gas connections in new homes and to renew and expand gas-exploration contracts.
“We will keep the gas tap on. We can’t bring people to a stage where they have to choose between keeping the home warm or having dinner.”
Shadow Minister David Davis added that a reliable gas supply was “vital for families and businesses in regional and metro Victoria alike.”
Education and Multicultural Representation
Addressing the multicultural media gathered, Mr Battin lamented that Victoria, despite having the highest proportion of overseas-born residents, boasted just four prestigious selective schools, compared to more than 20 in New South Wales. He criticised Labor’s new payroll tax on private and religious schools, which he said “adds $1,000 a year to fees and hurts families seeking the best for their children.”
Shadow Minister Evan Mulholland reinforced the outreach theme by moving a Legislative Council motion urging the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) to expand beyond its Western Sydney stronghold into Melbourne’s diverse suburbs such as Broadmeadows and Dandenong.
“Victoria is the multicultural capital of Australia, and SBS must reflect that reality—or risk becoming the Sydney Broadcasting Service,”
Mulholland declared.
Deepening India–Victoria Ties
Battin concluded by announcing that under Liberal leadership, India would become Victoria’s top partner for business, education and tourism—an overture to the state’s large Indian diaspora.
“We will build on existing trade and student-exchange links and welcome more Indian investment in our booming technology and clean-energy sectors,”
he said.
A Course Correction?
Months into his leadership, Brad Battin’s multicultural media convocation—complete with senior shadow ministers and regional representatives—appears designed to “course-correct” the Liberal Party’s outreach strategy. As battleground seats grow more diverse, today’s gathering at the Victorian Parliament may mark a turning point in how the opposition connects with Victoria’s communities of origin.
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