Former Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto has been left out of the new shadow cabinet of the man who rolled him from the leadership just after Christmas.
The state’s new Opposition Leader Brad Battin announced his shadow cabinet on Tuesday and defended the exclusion of Mr Pesutto from the front bench.
The decision comes after a horror 2024 for Mr Pesutto, who was effectively forced out of the leadership after losing an expensive defamation battle against recently readmitted Liberal MP Moira Deeming.
Speaking on 3AW, Mr Battin said he had had a “discussion” with Mr Pesutto before the shadow cabinet announcement.
“He’s also got some other things at the moment that he wants to deal through,” Mr Battin said.
“John will be a very important part of our team and at some stage I’ll be very, very confident he will come back into the positions he needs to be.”
The new team will feature new Deputy Leader Sam Groth as shadow special minister of state. Mr Groth will also retain the portfolios of sport, tourism and major events.
Brighton MP James Newbury will become the state’s shadow treasurer, with his former position as manager of opposition will go to Bridget Vallence, a staunch Battin ally during the spill.
Ms Vallence will also take over the finance portfolio from Jess Wilson, a Pesutto ally who went up against Mr Battin for the leadership when it became clear Mr Pesutto would not be contesting.
Ms Wilson will however retain a position in the front bench with Mr Battin describing her on radio as an “amazing operator” on Tuesday morning.
Speaking at parliament later on Tuesday, Mr Battin – a former police officer – said crime would feature high on his new team’s agenda.
Come along and meet new Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin as he answers some personal questions about himself.
“If we are elected on November 28 (2026), in our first sitting of parliament we will introduce laws to strengthen bail laws here in Victoria,” he said
“and I am sure that Michael O’Brien in the role of shadow lawyer will be very pleased to get that through as an urgent piece of legislation.”
Mr Battin also reiterated that “If John wanted to come into the shadow cabinet I would be more than happy to talk to him.”
The next Victorian election is expected to be in November 2026, but Mr Battin’s first test as leader will come at two by-elections to be held on February 8.
Deeming vs. Pesutto
In December, the federal court found Mr Pesutto defamed Ms Deeming in comments made after expelling her from the party room in 2023.
Mr Pesutto apologised to Ms Deeming after the Federal Court found he had defamed her as a Nazi sympathiser following an anti-transgender rally in Melbourne 2023.
Judge David O’Callaghan ruled Mr Pesutto defamed Ms Deeming in multiple interviews which caused “serious harm to her reputation”.
Ms Deeming was expelled from the parliamentary party after threatening legal action against Mr Pesutto, but remained a member of the broader party.
She was readmitted in a vote by the parliamentary party room.
Asked why she wanted to be back in a party room that kicked her out, Ms Deeming said she “had every right to be there”.
“I did nothing wrong. All the accusations that were made about me were just disproved in court,” Ms Deeming said from the state parliament lawns.
https://thewest.com.au/news/toppled-leader-john-pesutto-on-back-bench-as-battin-promotes-allies-c-17312570
