Victorian Liberal upper house MPs Moira Deeming and Ann-Marie Hermans are set to face significant preselection challenges as the party gears up for the state election in November. Sources confirm that Dinesh Gourisetty, a notable member of Melbourne’s growing Indian community, intends to run against Deeming in the western metropolitan region.
Nominations for the Liberal Party’s upper house preselection will close on January 14, 2024, with voting scheduled to take place over two weekends in March. In another region, Hermans is also facing competition, with potential candidates emerging for the top position on the ticket. Among them are Nathan Conroy, the former Dunkley candidate and Frankston mayor; Phillip Pease, who previously ran in Mordialloc; and Manju Hanumantharayappa, who narrowly missed out on a seat in the 2022 elections.
Hermans, in an interview with Guardian Australia, acknowledged hearing “rumours and complaints” regarding a challenge but stated she had not been directly approached by any candidates. “If I am being challenged, then my opponent is already showing themselves to be unprincipled and gutless,” she remarked, emphasizing her commitment to the party and her local community. Hermans believes the second position on the ticket is “gettable” and should be contested.
Supporters of Deeming assert that she will “not go down without a fight.” Although she declined to comment due to party rules on preselection, her backing includes significant grassroots support and endorsements from prominent Liberal figures. One supporter highlighted Deeming’s recent victory in a defamation case against former opposition leader John Pesutto, which has further solidified her position.
Gourisetty previously challenged Deeming during the 2022 preselection and has garnered considerable support from the western suburbs, despite failing to secure backing from the then-state party president, Robert Clark, due to past legal issues. According to sources close to Gourisetty, he holds support in eight of the eleven branches in the region. However, Deeming’s supporters contest this claim, insisting she maintains robust grassroots backing.
In eastern Victoria, the competition intensifies as senior party members have approached journalist and author Sue Smethurst to run against Renee Heath. Smethurst, who previously sought a seat in 2021, has not commented on this potential candidacy. Heath’s supporters have downplayed the challenge, citing her strong local support and recent promotion to the shadow cabinet.
In Northern Victoria, Steve Brooks is anticipated to replace long-serving MP Wendy Lovell, who resigned on January 8, 2024. Meanwhile, the north-east metropolitan ticket will also see a change following MP Nick McGowan’s decision to contest the lower house seat of Ringwood.
The Victorian Labor Party has postponed its upper house preselection process as it awaits clarity on group voting tickets and negotiations between factions. As the political landscape shifts, the preselection battles within the Liberal Party are set to shape the upcoming state election.
