Battin to challenge for leadership, as crucial vote to be put to MPs
A decision on whether absent Victorian Liberal MPs can cast their vote at Friday’s do-or-die meeting will be put to the party room, after state director Stuart Smith intervened following a war of words within the splintered party.
The intervention came as opposition police spokesman Brad Battin called his embattled colleague John Pesutto on Thursday morning to formally challenge his leadership at the upcoming party room meeting.
Brad Battin has informed opposition leader John Pesutto that he will formally challenge his leadership on Friday. Credit: Justin McManus
An email from Pesutto to the party on Tuesday informing his colleagues he would allow members to vote remotely at the meeting sparked fury from the group backing Battin, and prompted speculation that absent MPs Nick McGowan and Cindy McLeish would provide crucial votes to prevent a leadership spill.
James Newbury, one of the five shadow cabinet MPs to sign a letter forcing the meeting, wrote back publicly opposing the move, accusing the man he had once staunchly supported of breaching the party’s constitution in favour of his personal interests.
“It is clear that a holiday does not make it ‘impossible’ for a member to return for the meeting,” Newbury wrote.
The group backing Battin said remote voting was a blatant misuse of the party’s constitution, while Pesutto loyalists and other moderates said it was unfair to deny colleagues a vote in something as crucial as a leadership spill.
Smith’s intervention means three votes will be put to the party room on Friday: whether the absent MPs can vote remotely; if Moira Deeming should be readmitted to the party; and a challenge to the leadership. It will be the second time this month a vote on Deeming’s membership has been put to the party room. A deadlocked vote on whether the exiled MP should return was knocked down last Friday after Pesutto used his casting vote, prompting his political allies and opponents to urge the leader to step down.
Pesutto had originally called a party meeting for January 15, in a last-ditch effort to save his job by making a shock concession and agreeing to readmit Deeming.
His rivals then moved to bring the meeting forward to Friday, leading to speculation that Battin had the majority of party room support to call a leadership spill. Battin did not formally confirm he would challenge Pesutto until the phone call on Thursday.
On Tuesday, a source close to Pesutto – speaking anonymously to detail internal party matters – said it was “gutless” that the rebel group had not been upfront about the purpose of Friday’s meeting.
More to come
