Opposition leader John Pesutto avoids leadership challenge at party room meeting

Opposition leader John Pesutto says he’s focussed on Victoria’s crumbling roads and healthcare system after winning unanimous backing from his party room.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto has stared down a mooted leadership challenge, saying his sole focus was on forming government in 2026.

Despite weeks of threats by disgruntled colleagues that they would attempt to oust Mr Pesutto from the top job, not a single MP raised concerns about his leadership at a party room meeting on Tuesday.

“I dont know what all that was about to be honest,” Mr Pesutto said.

“Everyone is focused on the job ahead.”

Mr Pesutto said his sole focus was now on forming government and fixing Victorian roads and health services and addressing cost of living and economic pressures.

Opposition leader John Pesutto arrives at the party room meeting with his leadership team.

“It’s a long journey, and we are focused on the work ahead, that’s all we can really do, focus on the important matters of the Victorian people,” he said.

“I think coming out of today’s meeting, there’s a real sense of purpose and mission that we are having an impact on the debate in this state.

“We need change in this state, and we need better leadership in this state.”

Mr Pesutto said he remained committed to reducing the cost of living for Victorians, including reducing onerous tax burdens.

“If the state’s resources are managed well, we can bring taxes down, and that’s my commitment,” he said.

“We’ll be releasing positions on land tax and other taxes in the new year, but we have to get taxes down in the state.”

Despite the threat of a challenge by multiple detractors over the past week, senior Liberal Georgie Crozier said not a single MP raised any issues about Mr Pesutto.

Former leader Matthew Guy described the meeting as “cordial”, at the first party room meeting since Mr Pesutto’s high-stakes defamation trial with Moira Deeming.

Another former leader, Michael O’Brien, returned to the party room with coffees in hand after a short break, saying the meeting was “so quiet I had to get a coffee to perk me up”.

Earlier on Tuesday, MPs from the left and right of the party told reporters they backed Mr Pesutto as they streamed into the meeting.

Sam Groth, who was understood to be considering a challenge last week, walked in alongside fellow touted contender, shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell, and frontbencher Jess Wilson.

“You’re all wasting your time,” Mr Groth told waiting media.

Sam Groth warned waiting reporters they were wasting their time.

Frontbencher Richard Riordan and Kim Wells, who both testified against Mr Pesutto during his defamation battle, walked in together.

“John’s our leader, he’s a fantastic guy,” Mr Riordan said.

Mr Pesutto was flanked by deputy leader David Southwick and upper house leader of the opposition Georgie Crozier, as he made his way in.

Last week, agitators within the party were preparing to put forward a motion to suspend standing orders at the meeting on Tuesday.

The move would have paved the way for an attempted leadership challenge.

But positive polling, revealed by the Herald Sun last week, quickly staved off talk of a leadership challenge.

The RedBridge poll of 1516 voters showed the Coalition was leading 51 to 49 on a two party-preferred basis — its best result in seven years.

Outside parliament on Tuesday, Premier Jacinta Allan attacked Mr Pesutto as “entirely untrustworthy”.

“For weeks the Liberal Party have been slugging it out in court with each other contesting the question of John Pesutto’s character,” she said.

“John Pesutto is an entirely untrustworthy individual.

“His own colleagues think that and it demonstrates that Victorians can neither trust him or the Victorian Liberal Party.”

Originally published as Opposition leader John Pesutto avoids leadership challenge at party room meeting