By Corey Everitt
New opposition leader and Berwick MP Brad Battin has unveiled his shadow ministry with some of his fellow South East colleagues bumped up for the push to the 2026 election.
Battin unveiled his shadow cabinet on Tuesday 7 January after he took leadership of the opposition from the embattled John Pesutto on Friday 27 December.
“The Liberals and Nationals stand ready to listen, lead, and restore fairness and opportunity for all,” Battin said.
In the mix is Eastern Victoria MP Renee Heath, who will serve as an Assistant Minister for Victims of Family Violence and Multicultural Affairs.
Heath, a supporter of Moira Deeming and one of the five MPs to start the process which saw the defamed MP reinstated to the party room, formerly held a position as Secretary of the Parliamentary Liberal Party.
Heath was dropped from the role on the same day Deeming was expelled from the party room in May 2023.
All five of the MPs who initiated the push for Deeming’s return to the party room in December 2024 retained or were given positions in Battin’s shadow cabinet.
Fellow Eastern Victoria MP Melina Bath, the Leader for The Nationals in the Legislative Council, will take the public land management portfolio in the cabinet; this comes with a trade-off for her previous responsibilities of regional development and local government.
Bath also retained her role as Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.
South Eastern Metropolitan MP Ann-Marie Hermans lost her spot as Shadow Cabinet Secretary but has been given Shadow Assistant Minister Role for Education.
Despite a change in leadership, Narracan MP Wayne Farnham retained his role as assistant minister for the Leader of the Opposition.
Farnham also became assistant minister for Planning and the Building Industry.
New role for Battin
It was third time lucky for recently-elected Liberal leader Brad Battin as he set out his priorities and attempts to unite a divided party after toppling old boss John Pesutto.
The Berwick MP is the fourth opposition leader to stump up to Victoria’s Labor government after ousting Mr Pesutto in a party room meeting that heralded the return of expelled MP Moira Deeming.
Mr Pesutto opted not to run and Mr Battin was elected above Mornington MP Chris Crewther, while opposition financial spokeswoman Jess Wilson’s tilt at the top job failed to pass the first round of voting.
Former tennis player Sam Groth was elected unopposed as deputy leader, while David Davis was elevated to leader of the upper house, with Evan Mulholland retaining his deputy upper house leader role.
“I’m very thankful for the support I’ve got from my colleagues in the party room today to ensure that we could come out united,” Mr Battin said after the vote on Friday, 27 December.
A former police officer and small business owner, Mr Battin said he was a political outsider who understood what Victorians were going through under Labor.
He nominated the cost of living, crime, budget repair and roads as issues he would focus on over the next 700 days until the state election in November 2026.
“Every time a small business is charged more tax, customers are charged more for the items they buy, increasing the pressures on cost of living in our state,” he told reporters in late December.
“It’ll be our goal to have reduced taxes to release the pressure on businesses across the state.”
Mr Battin pledged to crack down on out-of-control crime in the state, fix “crumbling” regional roads and run smaller governments.
But the new leader was forced to defend his democratically elected leadership group which does not feature women.
“We have got very strong performing women within the partyroom who will be on the frontbench moving forward,” he said.
Mr Battin praised his predecessor as a “great man” and a “stalwart of the party”, vowing to work with him in a united party.
Mr Pesutto congratulated the new leader, vowing to stay on in parliament.
