Pesutto tightens grip on Liberal leadership in moderate mauling of conservative forces

Moderates aligned with state Opposition Leader John Pesutto have enjoyed a resounding win in elections for key positions in the Victorian Liberal Party, sparking calls for unity and an end to simmering feuds in state parliamentary ranks.

Party president and former state MP Philip Davis faced a challenge from another former state MP, Graham Watt. The election was seen as a contest between Pesutto-aligned moderates led by Davis and conservatives aligned with Watt and others including MP Renee Heath.

Philip Davis convincingly won the state Liberal Party’s presidency.Credit: Simon Schluter

The results were not publicly released by the party but a source, speaking anonymously due to party rules on public statements, said Davis won the election for president 472 votes to 375. The source noted that last year, Davis won by just 10 votes.

“Let us all just remember that we’re all here for one purpose, there’s nothing else. It’s to support the Liberal Party in achieving electoral success, win votes, win seats, win government, there’s nothing else,” Davis said, speaking after his victory.

“I appeal to you all to think about this term and understand what I mean by that,” he said. “We all need to be post-factional and work together.

The mood was buoyant among Liberal Party members who gathered at Moonee Valley Racecourse on Saturday to vote on various party positions and hear a speech from federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

Pesutto, who has enjoyed a slingshot turn around in the polls in the past 12 months, will address the council on Sunday.

“Morale is through the roof,” one senior Liberal said.

In June last year the opposition posted a record low primary vote of just 26 per cent in The Age’s Resolve Political Monitor. Since then the government has struggled in the wake of Daniel Andrews’ handover to Jacinta Allan, sinking to its own record low primary vote of just 27 per cent. Resolve director Jim Reed said an election would be a close contest as Labor benefited from preference flows.

Davis also called on MPs to keep internecine disputes private, following leaks and accusations of leaking inside the Coalition.

“Importantly, if you have a disagreement, deal with it in-house, don’t go to the outhouse,” he said.

“Once you’ve had the discussion lock, lock the door, forget it and when you go outside be united and that applies to parliamentary team as well.

“We need unity first, let’s come out of today with a clear view that we are going to put Peter Dutton into office and John Pesutto into government.”

Watt was contacted for comment. In his campaign material for the party president role Watt complained about poor election results and membership “woes” saying “it is time to put mediocrity behind us”.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton speaking at the Victorian Liberal Party state council.

The other successful candidates were Holly Byrne, female metro vice-president; Geoff Gledhill, male metro vice-president; Catherine Burnett-Wake, country female vice-president; Trent Sullivan, country male vice-president and Karyn Sobells, treasurer.

Several were targeted in leaked WhatsApp messages between conservative party members in the lead up to the weekend elections.

Davis told the audience that he had approached all of those successful candidates and asked them to run.

Former premier Jeff Kennett, who was honoured with a lifetime party membership, backed Davis’ call for unity.

“You need to be disciplined. You can’t possibly hope to encourage the public if you can’t manage your own affairs,” he said.

Another experienced Liberal figure said the Davis camp’s win across all those roles was emphatic and unusual for one group.

The party still faces internal division with Pesutto defending a defamation legal action brought by Liberal MP Moira Deeming. The case is set for a trial in September.

Dutton’s speech attacked the federal and state governments over energy policy, the cost of living and ties to the embattled CFMEU.

The federal Opposition Leader said Australia should “preserve the innocence” of young children, and “reinstate critical thinking and eradicate indoctrination from our classrooms”.

It should also “foster a love of country and not a sense of perpetual national guilt”, Dutton said.

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