‘Bring it to an end’: Victorian Liberals gear up for Friday coup

Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto is set to face a leadership challenge this Friday.

Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto will have his leadership challenged after a group of fed-up shadow ministers called a special party meeting this Friday.

In a stunning backflip over the weekend, Mr Pesutto said the party will cast another vote to readmit exiled former liberal MP Moira Deeming mid-way through next month.

“Four liberal party members have since signed calls to bring that meeting forward to the end of this week,” he said.

Shadow police minister Brad Battin is expected to use that meeting to challenge his leader for the top job.

The fallout of Pesutto’s defamation loss to former liberal MP Moira Deeming continues undermine his leadership. Picture: NewsWire/Ian Currie

This latest blow to Mr Pesutto’s grip on power comes after the federal court ruled earlier this month he defamed Mrs Deeming during her 2023 expulsion from the parliamentary liberal party.

After the loss Mr Pesutto cast the tie breaking vote to block her readmission to the party last week, prompting severe backlash from the party room.

Less than 24 hours after declaring the party “was moving on”, Mr Pesutto then admitted it had become clear “an absolute majority” now wanted to see her readmitted, and locked in January 15 for another vote on the matter.

“I again apologise to Mrs Deeming as we all work together to ensure the Liberal Party succeeds in winning government in November 2026,” he said.

Mr Pesutto’s tie breaking ballot in a party room vote to readmit Mrs Deeming was the final straw for at least five of his shadow ministers. Picture: NewsWire/Ian Currie

That simply wasn’t cutting it for Liberal MP’s Sam Groth, Richard Riordan, James Newbury, Brad Battin and Bridget Vallence, who have now moved to bring that meeting forward to Friday in an effort to reportedly launch a spill and topple the embattled leader before the new year.

Mr Groth had already resigned from the front bench after the federal court’s ruling, saying in a statement he could “in good conscience, no longer continue to serve”

Speaking to the Herald Sun, one liberal party source said “We can’t have this going on into the new year”.

“Something has to bring it to an end, and it will happen before then.”