On November 18, the Victorian Liberal Party caucus voted to spill the leadership, with the motion passing 19 to 13. First-term MP Jess Wilson succeeded Brad Battin, becoming the first woman to lead the opposition Coalition in Victoria’s history.
After the spill motion passed, Wilson was elected unopposed as the new opposition leader. She stated that her leadership team’s top priorities would include controlling the state budget, addressing the crime crisis, improving access to healthcare, and helping more Victorians achieve home ownership.
“I will work every day for the people of Victoria to ensure that at the next election they have a clear, credible choice that brings hope for the future,” she said. Wilson gave a brief statement and did not take questions from the media, noting that a full press conference would be held later.
The leadership change comes less than a year after Battin took office. He replaced former leader John Pesutto in a party-room power struggle last December, but a few weeks ago, representatives from different factions within the party informed him that he had lost the support of the caucus.
The 35-year-old Wilson is part of a younger generation within the Liberal Party and was first elected as the member for Kew in the 2022 state election. Before entering politics, she worked at accounting firm KPMG and served as an adviser to former federal Kooyong MP Josh Frydenberg. She also comes from a political family—her father, Ron Wilson, served as the member for Bennettswood from 1999 to 2002.