The Source: Despairing Liberal MPs doubt Brad Battin’s leadership

A horror poll has Liberal MPs wondering, yet again, whether they are willing to roll another leader. But who could replace Brad Battin?

Putting the squeeze on Victoria’s movers, shakers and headline makers

Will they or won’t they?

That’s the question state Liberal MPs are asking themselves about whether they roll leader Brad Battin after the latest round of what can only be described as diabolic polling.

Battin’s Coalition seem to have a one-way ticket in the opposite direction of forming government, and MPs previously firmly behind the leader are now questioning whether something has to give.

“A leadership change feels like an inevitability,” one MP said on Thursday.

“It’s not all Brad’s fault, but it’s clear that whatever we’re doing isn’t working,” said another.

Questions are being asked about just how Battin could lose eight poll points in a crime and debt wave punctuated by alleged childcare rapists?

For a party who have had more leadership changes in the past four years than they’ve had years in government in the past 26, a unique hesitation appears to have set in regarding another change.

The Source hears some agree that sticking behind Battin is the stability that’s needed ahead as the clock counts down to next year’s election. Picture: ABC

The Source hears some agree that sticking behind Battin is the stability that’s needed ahead as the clock counts down to next year’s election. Others believe a change wouldn’t hurt.

All reckon Battin has lost a considerable amount of support from within the party room, and if a vote of confidence in his leadership were held today, he’d be lucky to survive it.

The problem? There appears to be no single candidate the party room is willing to get behind.

(How many times has that been written in the past 10 years?)

Rising star Jess Wilson is a favourite of some, but others think she’s not yet ready for the top job.

John Pesutto is favoured by others but all agree his recent, um, troubles mean that it’s not an option now – if ever.

Michael O’Brien has repeatedly ruled out any interest in returning to the top job. Few others could come close to attracting the support needed or the ability to keep the party room united.

Then there’s Matthew Guy – Lazarus with a triple bypass?

Those who scoffed at the thought just weeks ago now seriously discuss the possibility.

Yes, it really could be a case of here we go again.

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