Victoria could see two women contesting the state election as leaders of their respective parties for the first time if a Liberal leadership challenge is successful later today.
Member for Kew Jess Wilson is expected to challenge current Opposition Leader Brad Battin on Tuesday morning, following growing discontent over his performance as leader.
A cross-factional delegation of MPs visited Mr Battin on Monday afternoon to inform him that he had lost the support of the party room.
Brad Battin and Jess Wilson will face off in a leadership contest on Tuesday. (AAP: James Ross/Joel Carrett)
Mr Battin has only held the position since last December after launching his own leadership coup against former leader John Pesutto.
Ms Wilson nominated herself for the leadership during that spill, but was eliminated in the first round of voting.
Less than 12 months later, she has returned to contest the leadership again, attempting to cap off a stunning rise through the party ranks in just her first term in parliament.
Meteoric rise to top of Liberal Party
Ms Wilson is one of the newest Liberal MPs, having been elected as the member for Kew at the 2022 state election.
She defeated five contenders to win the preselection, replacing former frontbencher Tim Smith, who was pressured into not recontesting the seat after crashing his car into a family home while allegedly drink-driving.
Prior to that, she worked for accounting firm KPMG and served as an adviser for former federal MP for Kooyong, Josh Frydenberg.
Originally from Mont Albert in Melbourne’s inner-east, Ms Wilson brings political pedigree to the role, with her father Ron Wilson serving as member for Bennettswood from 1999 until its abolition in 2002.
In her first speech to parliament, she paid tribute to her father.
“Dad was my first political hero and, while it might be said that I followed in Dad’s footsteps as president of Monash Liberal Club, as Victorian Young Liberal state president and now as a member of this assembly, I have also carved out my own path,” she said.
Her time in the Victorian Young Liberals was not without controversy, however, with Ms Wilson surviving her own leadership challenge from a group of party rebels in 2016.
Jess Wilson was elected unopposed as president of the Victorian Liberals’ youth wing. (Supplied: Young Liberals)
In less than three years, Ms Wilson has overseen seven different portfolios, with her latest appointment as shadow treasurer coming just last month as part of a shadow cabinet shake-up dubbed a “fresh start” by Mr Battin.
The 35-year-old has represented a more moderate wing of the party, breaking with her colleagues to become the only Victorian Liberal MP who supported the Indigenous Voice to Parliament publicly.
Should her challenge be successful, she would also become the first woman to lead the Victorian Liberal Party in its 76-year history.
Former Liberal Party strategist Tony Barry said Ms Wilson could be the leader the party needed to topple the Labor government.
“Jess represents a fresh start,” he said.
“She’s a different look, a young professional woman — a constituency that we haven’t spoken to or connected with for a very long time.
“I think she’s an incredibly strong candidate. She’s very well-rounded with a strong economic background, and that is the key to this election.”