Rita Panahi: Jacinta Allan must be thanking her lucky stars she’s blessed with an opposition as painfully inept as the Vic Libs
Former Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin had shortcomings but the woman the party dumped him for, Jess Wilson, has many more — including limited life and political experience. She’s also shown poor judgement.
Only the uniquely hopeless Vic Libs would celebrate a rare positive poll by dumping their leader and replacing him with a first term MP.
Brad Battin had a number of shortcomings but his replacement Jess Wilson has many more; she’s a Jacinta Allan-lite millennial with limited life and political experience whose worldview is almost identical to the Teals.
If the Victorian Liberals think Wilson is the answer, they’re asking the wrong question. Again.
Wilson has been on the wrong side of just about every consequential issue and, just as importantly, in her short political career she has failed to land a glove on Labor. And she’s had plenty of chances, holding no fewer than seven portfolios in less than three years, another indication of the chaotic manner in which the Libs operate.
Wilson’s political judgement has thus far been as poor as former leader John Pesutto. She voted to expel Liberal MP Moira Deeming for the crime of believing in biological reality and defending women’s sex-based rights. It would be interesting to see if she would flounder if asked how many genders there are, or what is a woman?
The Member for Kew was the sole Vic Lib who publicly backed the divisive race-based Voice referendum. Victorians voted ‘no’ with the rest of the country, but thanks to the Allan government, we will have a permanent state-based voice and treaty; far more radical, wide-reaching and costly than what was proposed federally two years ago.
Wilson’s support for enshrining racial division into the Constitution complicates the Liberals’ job of campaigning against the voice and treaty.
Then there is her support of economically destructive net zero policies.
Premier Allan must be thanking her lucky stars that she’s blessed with an opposition so painfully inept. She could hardly hide her mirth during Question Time when she thanked “the latest leader of the opposition” for her question, which she batted away with ease.
One has to marvel at the Liberals’ talent for self-destruction. Vic Labor is the worst performing government in the country and yet on Tuesday they were $1.55 favourites to win in 2026, against the Coalition at $2.50.
If Wilson is still leader when Victorians go to the polls, she should win, but she has a massive mountain to climb with a jaded electorate.
Rita Panahi is a Herald Sun columnist
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