John Pesutto has been ousted as the Victorian Liberal party leader after a successful challenge by Brad Battin during a meeting of MPs on Friday.
A snap vote to re-admit Moira Deeming to the party room on Friday morning morphed into a referendum on Pesutto’s future.
Emerging from the meeting as leader, Battin said he was now focused on cost-of-living issues and crime – along with roads, reducing taxes and the state of Victoria’s finances.
Asked about the lack of women in the leadership team, Battin referenced his support for Deeming but declined to say whether he agreed with her views.
“I fought to bring a woman back into the party room,” he said.
Deeming said Pesutto had shaken her hand and said sorry to her in today’s party room meeting.
“He has apologised to me today, and that’s the end of it,” she said.
Pesutto’s job had been on shaky ground ever since he lost a defamation case brought against him by Deeming. He walked into parliament alone ahead of Friday’s party room meeting.