State opposition reshuffle renews leadership tensions

5 hours ago 3

Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin has revealed a high-risk reshuffle of his front bench, with three MPs moving to shadow cabinet and James Newbury dumped from his prized treasury portfolio to make way for Jess Wilson.

Newbury will become the new shadow attorney-general, filling the vacancy created by former leader Michael O’Brien’s pending retirement.

Opposition Leader Brad Battin with his team at the Liberal Party state council last month.

Conservative backbenchers Nicole Werner and Joe McCracken will join the frontbench alongside Richard Welch, while Roma Britnell has been demoted to the backbench from her current job of shadow minister for ports and freight.

The changes fill the spots opened up by O’Brien and former minister David Hodgett’s decision to quit politics at the end of this term after each serving 20 years in parliament.

The bigger decision is the promotion of Wilson, Battin’s chief rival for the party leadership, at the expense of Newbury, an MP who played a critical role in securing Battin’s leadership in last year’s Christmas coup.

John Pesutto, the leader replaced by Battin last December and still the face of the party’s moderate wing in Victoria, has been left in exile on the backbench despite indicating to Battin he wanted to take on more responsibility heading into an election year.

The major reshuffle, which is expected to be Battin’s last before next November’s election, will plunge his leadership into an immediate period of uncertainty.

Newbury, who played the role of kingmaker in the last leadership change when he switched support from Wilson to Battin, was rewarded with his choice of portfolios — shadow treasurer — and was vehemently opposed to having to make way for Wilson, according to insiders unable to speak publicly.

He had just completed the party’s major economic and fiscal plan, which, pending approval by shadow cabinet, would have set out the party’s budgetary and economic ambitions for next year’s election.

Instead, that task will fall to Wilson, a former Business Council of Australia executive and adviser to former federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

James Newbury has been dumped from his prized treasury portfolio to make way for Jess Wilson.

Wilson’s elevation to the second most senior job in opposition was welcomed by her supporters within the party. “Every serious commentator, not to mention business and industry, has noticed the lack of economic focus and narrative,” said one. “If anyone is going to smash that, it is Jess Wilson.”

However, the broader reshuffle was widely viewed by party figures, speaking anonymously to be frank about internal issues, as creating more problems than it solved.

A senior member of the Liberal party room noted the risk inherent for Battin. “He should be very careful demoting his friends and promoting his enemies.”

“The problem with making any major changes is that you just piss people off.”

A Pesutto supporter expressed frustration at Battin’s decision to leave one of his most experienced and talented MPs lingering on the backbench.

“He is not trying to unify the party. If he was trying to unify the party he would put John in.”

Britnell confirmed she learned on Friday of her demotion.

“It is not what I would have chosen, and I am very disappointed, but Brad as the leader of the party has the right to choose who he wants in the shadow cabinet,” she said.

Newbury may be offered the role of manager of opposition business to soften the blow of losing treasury, while Matthew Guy will add to his current portfolio of transport with responsibility for major projects, a portfolio currently held by Evan Mulholland, one of the party’s hardest working MPs and the only moderate member of the leadership team.

This change will make Guy, a former party leader, the opposition spokesperson for the Suburban Rail Loop. Although the Liberal Party ostensibly opposes building the first stage of the SRL, Guy conceded in August that it would be too far progressed by next November not to complete.

Battin spent Friday afternoon informing Liberal MPs about the changes and is expected to confirm his new frontbench and their portfolio responsibilities at a press conference on Saturday morning.