By Eleanor Wilson and Cam Lucadou-Wells
Newly elected Berwick MP Brad Battin is a strong contender for the state’s Liberal Party top job, after a fellow candidate dropped out of the race and announced his support for the former Gembrook representative.
Mr Battin is one of three candidates vying for the Victorian Liberal Party Leadership position, after Matthew Guy announced in a statement he would step down from the position following a second failed election campaign.
Polwarth MP Richard Riordan and Hawthorn candidate John Pesutto have also put their hands up for the spot, although Pesutto is still waiting to find out if he has regained his former seat of Hawthorn. He currently leads teal independent Melissa Lowe by 479 votes.
It comes after Warrandyte MP Ryan Smith on Wednesday announced he was pulling out of the race and would throw his support behind Mr Battin.
“With consideration and after discussions with Brad Battin, I have concluded that our vision for the party and our approach to the next four years are closely aligned,” Mr Smith said in a statement.
“Dividing support for that positive agenda is counterproductive.”
Mr Guy’s successor could be confirmed next week, when the outgoing leader calls the Liberal parliamentary party room together to elect his replacement once a clearer picture emerges of the successful candidates.
Mr Battin told Star News on Monday 28 November he was “strongly considering” running for the leadership, stating he had the support of his family and was in the process of calling his fellow party members to gauge the level of support he would have.
“It will depend on what is in the best interest of the party…The party is not about a person, we need to make sure we’ll be united as a party and around the community and hopefully give it a better shot in 2026,” he said.
Later that day he announced to media he would contest the position.
In 2021, Mr Battin initiated an unsuccessful leadership challenge against then-leader Michael O’Brien. Mr Guy reclaimed the leadership later that year.
Mr Battin, who was elected to the seat of Berwick over the weekend with 56.3 per cent of the two party preferred vote, said the Liberal Party’s defeat was “disappointing”.
“The overall result was disappointing and now we have a fair bit to do, particularly in the South-East, to make some changes,” he said.
“There’s a bit of a mixed bag out here…that could come down to messaging, what we’re messaging, how we’re engaging with the community… there’s lessons for us to learn.
Battin’s Berwick District is one of few Liberal seats in the South-East, after a devastating election defeat for the party over the weekend, which saw the ALP retain the seats of Dandenong, Mulgrave, Monbulk, Carrum, Narre Warren North, Narre Warren South and Cranbourne.
Several electorates in the region remain too close to call, with the Liberal Party’s David Farrelly leading Pakenham by 228 votes and the ALP’s Jordan Crugnale ahead by 53 votes in the coastal seat of Bass.
Former Strictly Ballroom star Paul Mecurio leads Hastings by 561 votes.
– With AAP
