Victorian Liberal Leader Brad Battin has revealed his new shadow cabinet with the surprise absence of his predecessor.
The new cabinet is the result of the reshuffle in the roles of two former party leaders and other key members.
Former leader John Pesutto will move from the multicultural affairs portfolio to the backbench, while his predecessor, Matthew Guy, will be in charge of the new portfolio of “transition to government.”
Several of Battin’s supporters have been promoted to the cabinet, including Brighton MP James Newbury, who will assume the shadow treasurer position, and the new Shadow Finance Minister Bridget Vallance.
Western Victorian MP Bev McArthur, who supported Battin in the recent leadership change, will be in charge of local government and scrutiny of government portfolios.
Similarly, Western Victorian MP and Battin’s ally, Joe McCracken, will become the shadow cabinet secretary.
Meanwhile, former deputy leader and Pesutto’s ally, David Southwick, has been moved from the transport infrastructure, trade, and cost of living portfolios, to the police and corrections portfolios.
Jess Wilson, who ran against Battin in the leadership contest, will continue to be the shadow education minister.
While Wilson lost her finance portfolio to Vallance, she will take on the industry and economic growth portfolio.
Former Shadow Treasurer Brad Rowswell will assume two new portfolios: environment, and digital transformation and public service innovation.
Malvern MP Michael O’Brien will continue to be the shadow attorney general.
With the new cabinet, the Victorian Liberal Party has increased the number of female ministers from seven to eight.
Battin said the new team was built on a “merit-based program” and emphasised that he would work with former party leaders so that the Liberals could win the 2026 state election.
“I’ll say to Victoria, I will stand with Matthew Guy, I will stand with Michael O’Brien, and I’ll stand with John Pesutto, and I’ll take advice from them to ensure we are ready to govern,” he said.
It Was Pesutto’s Choice: Battin
Regarding Pesutto’s moving to the backbench, Battin said it was the former party leader’s own decision.“I’ve had a couple of discussions with John Pesutto. Obviously, you’re all aware, John’s had some difficult challenges,” he said.
“At the moment, John has opted not to come into the shadow cabinet. However, he is a strong part of our team.”
Pesutto stepped down from the leadership position after a challenge when he lost his defamation lawsuit to MP Moira Deeming, who was expelled from the state Liberal party room.
At the same time, Battin denied targeting Pesutto’s allies in the new cabinet reshuffle.
He defended the decision to move Southwick to the police portfolio, saying the latter had experience managing the portfolio and that crime had become one of the biggest problems in Victoria.
Labor’s Response
Following Battin’s announcement, Victorian government minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, denounced the new shadow cabinet, calling it the “Coalition cut squad.”“Brad Battin has taken 10 days since he took over the leadership of the opposition to come up with the shadow cabinet, one that he promised he would seek to have a 50-50 division between men and women in that shadow cabinet,” she said during a press conference.
“The most he’s been able to achieve is eight out of 23 positions [that] have been filled by women. That is a terrible representation of women in his team.
“It’s clear every single day that Brad Battin’s new opposition team are about cuts. Their three priorities are about cuts, cuts and cuts.”
Furthermore, D’Ambrosio alleged that Battin punished those who did not support him during the leadership contest.
She also said there was a division within the state Liberal Party.
“He [Battin] is not interested in repairing the damage that they’ve inflicted on themselves for years and years,” she said.
“He’s demoted a lot of people because they could not support him.”
