Opposition Leader Faces Leadership Spill Amid Party Turmoil
John Pesutto’s leadership is under threat as shadow ministers push for a special meeting to challenge his position this Friday
John Pesutto, Moira Deeming, Liberal Party, Victoria, Australia
Melbourne: So, it looks like John Pesutto, the opposition leader in Victoria, is in hot water. A bunch of shadow ministers are fed up and have called for a special meeting this Friday to challenge his leadership.
Just over the weekend, Pesutto did a complete turnaround. He announced that the party would vote again to let Moira Deeming back in after her exile. This is set for mid-January, but now some members want to speed things up.
Brad Battin, the shadow police minister, is expected to take this chance to go for the top job. Pesutto’s recent defamation loss to Deeming has really shaken his hold on power.
After the court ruled he defamed her during her expulsion, he cast a tie-breaking vote to keep her out, which didn’t sit well with many in the party. Just a day after saying the party was moving on, he realized that most members actually wanted Deeming back.
He even apologized to her while trying to keep the party united for the upcoming elections in 2026. But it seems that wasn’t enough for some members, who are now pushing to bring the meeting forward to Friday to possibly oust him.
One of the MPs, Sam Groth, already stepped down from the front bench after the court’s decision, saying he couldn’t continue serving under these circumstances. A source from the party mentioned that they can’t let this drag on into the new year, so something’s gotta give soon.