Victorian Liberal upper house MPs Moira Deeming and Ann-Marie Hermans are set to confront preselection challenges as the party gears up for upcoming elections. Several senior members have approached Dinesh Gourisetty, a notable figure within Melbourne’s Indian community, to run against Renee Heath in the western metropolitan region. Nominations for the Liberal upper house preselection will close on January 14, 2024, with voting scheduled across two weekends in March, ahead of the state election in November.
In the south-eastern metropolitan region, Hermans will also face competition. Multiple names have emerged for the top position on the ticket, including former Dunkley candidate and Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy, as well as former Mordialloc candidate Phillip Pease and Manju Hanumantharayappa, who narrowly missed out on a seat in the 2022 elections. Conroy is additionally being considered for a run in Nepean following the unexpected resignation of the party’s deputy leader, Sam Groth, earlier this week.
Hermans expressed to Guardian Australia that she had received “rumours and complaints from party members” regarding potential challengers but had not been directly contacted by any candidates. She stated, “If I am being challenged, then my opponent is already showing themself to be unprincipled and gutless.” Hermans emphasized her dedication to the party, noting her efforts in engaging with constituents in previously challenging areas.
Supporters of Deeming have asserted that she “will not go down without a fight.” Although Deeming declined to comment due to party rules restricting public statements on preselection, her backers pointed to her successful defamation case against former opposition leader John Pesutto as evidence of her resilience. The Victorian Liberal Party provided a loan of $1.5 million to assist Pesutto with legal costs, which are currently under court review.
Gourisetty has previously contested Deeming during the 2022 preselection and has cultivated significant backing within the western suburbs. Observers indicate he may have support in eight of the eleven branches in the region, although Deeming’s supporters contest these claims, asserting her grassroots support remains strong and bolstered by endorsements from influential Liberal figures.
In eastern Victoria, two sources have confirmed that senior party members have approached journalist and author Sue Smethurst to challenge Heath. Smethurst previously contested for the position in 2021 but declined to comment when approached by Guardian Australia. Supporters of Heath have downplayed the likelihood of a challenge, citing her robust support among local branches and her recent advancement to the shadow cabinet.
The political landscape is further shifting as Steve Brooks is expected to gain sufficient backing to replace the long-serving MP Wendy Lovell, who resigned earlier this week in Northern Victoria. Additionally, the number two position on the north-eastern metropolitan ticket will be filled following MP Nick McGowan‘s decision to run for the lower house seat of Ringwood.
Meanwhile, the Victorian Labor Party has postponed its upper house preselection, awaiting a resolution on group voting tickets and ongoing negotiations among factions within the party.
As the nomination deadline approaches, the upcoming preselection battles are poised to significantly impact the Victorian Liberal Party’s strategy leading into the elections later this year.
