Wells courted to lead Liberals as Pesutto braces for spill threat

Conservative Liberals are urging former treasurer Kim Wells to put his hand up to lead the Victorian party – weeks after he gave evidence against leader John Pesutto in a defamation trial – as the party’s coalition partner made a plea for unity.

Four MPs, speaking anonymously to be frank about internal issues, said calls had begun to rally support for Wells.

Kim Wells arriving at the Federal Court to give evidence against Pesutto in late September.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

When contacted by The Age, Wells said he had received numerous phone calls from colleagues asking him to run for leader or deputy. “I’m considering my options,” Wells said.

Frontbenchers Sam Groth, Brad Battin, James Newbury and Brad Rowswell have also been touted as possible candidates in the event of a spill, which plotters hope to launch on October 15 when the party’s team of 30 gathers for the resumption of state parliament.

Pesutto conceded on Monday there could be a move to overthrow him as opposition leader next week and said they were free to launch a challenge.

“Let them bring it,” he told reporters.

The spat has angered some within the National Party, with leader Peter Walsh urging his Liberal colleagues to focus on the needs of voters amid escalating leadership tension.

Walsh said while Pesutto “had a lot on his plate”, he had “handled his four-day cross-examination with dignity”.

“We have an important role to do,” Walsh told The Age. “People are very disenchanted, and we need to be unified and show we are a responsible alternative government.”

Pesutto has endured a bruising three weeks in the Federal Court as part of the defamation battle launched against him by ousted Liberal Moira Deeming.

Moira Deeming outside court last week.Credit: Darrian Traynor

Wells was previously an ally of Pesutto’s, but he represented Deeming when her dispute with the party leadership blew up last year.

In the Federal Court, Wells said Pesutto had falsely told him that Deeming organised neo-Nazis to join the Let Women Speak rally on the steps of parliament in March 2023. Wells told the court he had been double-crossed by the leadership as part of an agreement to get Deeming exonerated.

Pesutto rejected his evidence in court.

There is also a conservative push for Deeming’s return to the party room – but that is unlikely to gather support. Most MPs are upset that she brought the defamation case and about her record voting with Labor since moving to the crossbench.

The leadership agitators said they believed they had the numbers to topple Pesutto, but that a narrow loss could be closely followed by a later successful spill given the Federal Court trial will hear closing submissions in the coming weeks.

Many of Pesutto’s party room backers now accept a challenge next week is inevitable.

Pesutto said no one had reached out to him and that neither MPs nor his staff had reported any concerns, but that he would continue speaking to his colleagues.

“If someone wants to do that, there are rights under the party’s constitution to do it,” he said.

“I think it’s up to people who may wish to do something in the coming days to make that case.”

Pesutto has climbed in the polls over the past year and on Monday he said the results were there for all to see.

He attributed much of this to the “efforts of David Southwick and Georgie Crozier” – his colleagues in the leadership team – who could also be targeted in any spill for their involvement in the Deeming saga.

“I say to all of my colleagues right across the Liberal Party, not just the parliamentary party, but the entire movement, that we are demonstrating that we are resonating with the Victorian people,” he said.

Pesutto said he had done everything he could to try to settle with Deeming before her defamation action against him reached court.

The Liberal leadership team moved to expel Deeming from the parliamentary party after she helped organise the Let Women Speak rally on March 18, 2023. Neo-Nazis were among several groups of protesters that arrived that day.

Deeming was suspended instead in a last-minute compromise, but was ultimately expelled weeks later after threatening to bring in lawyers.

She alleges Pesutto defamed her as a Nazi sympathiser, which he rejects.

The last of the witnesses gave evidence last Friday, the 14th day of the trial. The remaining evidence will be presented to the court this week, with closing submissions due in late October.

Before a scheduled meeting of the shadow cabinet on Tuesday, Pesutto said he remained confident he had the support of the majority of the party room but was taking “nothing for granted”.

“Every day I am conscious of the responsibility I have to all of my colleagues”.

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