Brad Battin to challenge Michael O’Brien for Victorian Liberals leadership

Victorian Liberal Brad Battin’s ‘amateurish’ leadership challenge is expected to plunge the party further into chaos.

The Victorian Liberals are in crisis, with a leadership challenge expected to plunge the party further into chaos.

Embattled leader Michael O’Brien will face a party room challenge on Tuesday morning pushed by opposition spokesman for roads, youth justice and crime Brad Battin.

In the unlikely event the vote for a spill is successful, it is expected that Mr O’Brien will not contest, with Mr Battin to face off against Louise Staley and/or Matthew Guy.

The move to topple Mr O’Brien, who has faced intense scrutiny over his performance since taking over from Mr Guy in 2018, left many MPs and senior party officials in shock on Monday.

Party powerbrokers were on Monday night meeting to plot a course forward, saying they were blindsided by the “amateurish” coup.

“This has none of the hallmarks of being a well orchestrated coup,” one said.

“It looks like a frustrated backbencher who’s blown up his own chances.”

Brad Battin is set to challenge for the leadership. Picture: AAP Image/Alex Murray

Well-placed sources were predicting Mr O’Brien would win any challenge, but said the damage to his leadership could ultimately prove fatal.

There was speculation Mr O’Brien would quit parliament if he was toppled on Tuesday, which would spark a by-election in his Malvern electorate.

Senior party figures said Mr Battin, who holds his seat of Gembrook by just 0.8 per cent, had become increasingly anxious about retaining the electorate and felt he needed to act.

The challenge brings an end to months of speculation over the party’s leadership.

Mr Guy, who suffered a massive election loss in 2018, has repeatedly told colleagues he does not want to reclaim the top job.

Tim Smith, who sees himself as a potential leader, has also told colleagues it is not his time. Both were said to be left furious over the challenge.

It was unclear yesterday whether Mr Guy would consider another run so soon, with the likely prospect of losing a second election looming in 2022.

But one said: “He might be convinced out of a sense of duty to the party. And he is quite impetuous. Of all of them, he can ­reunite the party.”

The party room process will first see a proposal, which needs a seconder, for a vote on one or both of the leadership positions.

If fewer than 16 of the MPs across both the upper and lower houses back a leadership spill, Mr O’Brien will continue as leader.

Michael O'Brien will be challenged for leadership of the Victorian Liberals.

“I think it will be about 19-12 against the spill,” one source said.

“But that’s not ideal, it’s going to be pretty damaging — the start of a destabilisation campaign.

“The challenger might not be successful, but the challenge almost always ultimately is.”

If 16 or more vote for a spill, everyone in the room will be invited to nominate for the leadership. It is very unlikely Mr O’Brien will contest if the party has voted to have a spill.

One party source warned: “He’ll just walk away and we’ll lose that seat in Malvern. Where it’s hurting most with women is the inner suburbs. This is too stupid for words.”

It is anticipated a spill would see Mr Battin instead face off against Ms Staley and potentially Mr Guy.

Sources said the latter was considered the most capable of reuniting the party.

While Ms Staley was expected to back Mr O’Brien in the initial vote, insiders said she would be very likely to stand against Mr Battin.

One political insider said of Mr Battin: “He’s got a really good story. He’s not ugly, he was a cop, family guy, lives in the suburbs.

“There is a lot to work with. He sees himself as a future leader and a future premier.

“It also might just be a case of anyone but Michael at the moment. I think WA (Labor’s landslide election win) has spooked everyone.”

But other sources said the WA election result should have no bearing on the Victorian Liberals.

Michael O’Brien with leadership challenger Brad Battin in 2017. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

“It’s just stupid. Didn’t they learn anything out of Western Australia on the weekend? When you don’t think it could get any worse, it could,” the source said.

“I’d be very surprised if Brad has the numbers to be the leader. He is a pleasant enough guy, but he’s not going to do better than O’Brien.”

Some in the party have also raised concerns about whether Mr Battin was “smart enough”.

Several sources said they were surprised at Mr Battin’s move, given none of the party heavyweights such as Mr Guy, Mr Smith or David Davis were believed to be involved.

“O’Brien’s office is a little dysfunctional. There are people losing faith with MOB, but people don’t think Battin is the solution,” one said.

“Daniel Andrews has got a machine behind him, we’ve got a bunch of no-hopers.

“The idea that Battin is going to make a difference is a joke. These people should worry more about their own jobs, laying a blow.”

Those who have been increasingly advocating behind the scenes for action are believed to include Mr Battin, Richard Riordan, Ryan Smith, Craig Ondarchie, Beverly McArthur, James Newbury and Neil Burgess.

WHO IS BRAD BATTIN?

Brad Battin is the Member for Gembrook and Shadow Minister for Roads and Youth Justice.

Raised in Harkaway and Berwick, the 45-year-old worked at McDonalds and in customer service after high school before joining Victoria Police in 2001.

Posted to Dandenong Police Station, he completed a Diploma in Public Safety (Policing), working with local schools to connect young people with education, training and employment.

He transferred to Prahran Police Station in 2005 where he turned his attention to combating alcohol fuelled crime.

Retiring from Victoria Police in 2007, Mr Battin became a small-business owner with the purchase of a Bakers Delight franchise which he ran for three years before parliament.

In 2010, he was elected to the Victorian Parliament after defeating incumbent Labor MP Tammy Lobato.

State Member for Gembrook Brad Battin was once Shadow Minister for Emergency Services. Picture: Hamish Blair

Since 2014, he has served as the Shadow Minister for Environment, the Building Industry and Emergency Services.

In 2017, when he was shadow Minister for Emergency Servives, Mr Battin drew criticism for his comments questioning the response time of authorities on Black Saturday.

“When we go back to February 2009, the minister should be able to tell us how many career firefighters were on the firefighting ground on 7 February for the first 5½ hours of Black Saturday. I can tell the house that it was zero,” he told Parliament at the time.

He later apologised for the comment.

According to his website, he is a Geelong Football Club fan, volunteers at The Fred Hollows Foundation and is a coach for Berwick Junior Football Club.

The father of two married his high school sweetheart Jo Battin in 1999, living with his family in Berwick in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.