Liberal MP says ‘an intervention will be ­required because the current group is so toxic’

Senior Victorian Liberals — worried about “the future of the party’s existence” — are considering a radical plan to oust their leader Brad Battin and parachute in someone new.

Brad Battin’s future is under a cloud, according to senior Liberals. Picture: Getty

Senior Victorian Liberals are canvassing ways to save the embattled party, warning they face losing next year’s state election without urgent intervention.

A radical plan to parachute in a new leader to take the party in a different direction is among the ideas being discussed.

This would almost certainly require a by-election at which a well-credentialed Liberal would stand with the aim of taking over the leadership.

Discussions are underway to parachute in a new leader to take over from Brad Battin. Picture: Ian Currie

However, some point to the example of ill-fated former Queensland premier Campbell Newman, who in 2011 led the party from the outside before being elected to parliament.

Another senior Liberal said an intervention was “utterly ridiculous” for many reasons, including uncertainty about being able to win a by-election.

But they said a broad view was forming that the current party room was too divided.

“An intervention will be ­required because the current group is so toxic,” the senior Liberal said.

“This is getting very close to the future of the party’s existence. There is a real threat they could not win anything at the next election, and it could get worse.

“There’s a number of seats they don’t hold by much.”

The Coalition needs to win 16 seats, and lose none, to form government for just the second time since 1999.

It holds 16 marginal seats, ­including 12 with a margin of 5 per cent or less.

Sources say leader Brad Battin has the numbers in the party room “with a reasonably comfortable majority”.

Despite that, talks of a leadership change have escalated among MPs with at least one of Mr Battin’s supporters floating changes with colleagues.

Former premier Jeff Kennett this week lashed the party room as a “cesspool” and warned continuing internal fights threatened its future.

“Sadly our members and volunteers deserve so much better,” Mr Kennett said.

“Leadership is absent (and) they are prepared to bankrupt one of their own. What values does the party have when it won’t embrace one of its own?”

Mr Kennett was referring to the legal fight plaguing former leader John Pesutto who has until Friday to pay $2.3m in court-ordered legal costs to colleague Moira Deeming.

If he is unable to do so, Mrs Deeming it is expected to issue a bankruptcy notice.

There are concerns that ­despite a change of leadership in December, Victorian Liberal MPs remain too divided to confidently contest next year’s state election.

The party has endured multiple crises in recent weeks ­including the referral of two MPs to the parliament’s privileges committee over a delivery of cow manure to the Premier’s office.

Questions have also been raised in recent days about the use of taxpayer-funded allowances by deputy leader Sam Groth.

Senior MPs have complained that ongoing internal problems had diluted what should have been a strong policy ­announcement by the party this week – to axe stamp duty for first-home buyers spending up to $1m.

But leader of the opposition in the upper house David Davis said the party’s focus and that of leader Brad Battin had been unswayed.

“Brad’s been focused on ­exactly the sorts of issues I’ve been focused on and trying to hold the government to ­account,” he said.

Originally published as Liberal MP says ‘an intervention will be ­required because the current group is so toxic’