Overview
- Victorian Liberal MPs voted to replace Brad Battin with Jess Wilson, confirming a rapid leadership change less than a year before the state poll.
- Wilson becomes the first woman to lead the Victorian Liberals and the first woman to lead the Coalition in the state’s history.
- The deputy leadership remains to be confirmed after reports the position held by Sam Groth could also be opened to a vote.
- Battin’s position eroded after an October reshuffle, criticism of a narrow crime-focused strategy, slipping polls and months of internal disputes.
- A shift to Wilson sets up a likely contest with Labor Premier Jacinta Allan next year and continues a decade of leadership instability within the Liberals.