Victorian Liberal upper house MPs Moira Deeming and Ann-Marie Hermans are facing significant preselection challenges as party dynamics shift ahead of the state election scheduled for November. Reports confirm that senior party members are rallying support for former journalist Dinesh Gourisetty, who is set to contest Renee Heath for a position in the western metropolitan region. Nominations for the Liberal upper house preselection close on January 14, 2024, with voting planned across two weekends in March.
In the southeastern metropolitan area, Hermans also anticipates a competitive landscape. Sources indicate a pool of potential candidates, including former Dunkley candidate and Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy, former Mordialloc candidate Phillip Pease, and Manju Hanumantharayappa, who narrowly missed securing a spot in 2022. Conroy is additionally being considered for a candidacy in Nepean following the unexpected resignation of the party’s deputy leader, Sam Groth, earlier this week.
Hermans expressed awareness of the growing speculation regarding her preselection challenge. “If I am being challenged, then my opponent is already showing themselves to be unprincipled and gutless,” she stated. She emphasized her commitment to the party and her community, asserting that her hard work in Labour strongholds should not be met with opposition for her dedication.
Supporters of Deeming have made clear that she is prepared for a tough battle. While she declined to comment directly, party rules restrict candidates from discussing preselection publicly. Observers noted her recent legal victory against former opposition leader John Pesutto, highlighting that the party had loaned him $1.5 million to cover legal costs in a case that has now prompted a court challenge.
Gourisetty has a history of challenging Deeming, having previously run for the number two spot in 2018 and as the Liberal candidate for Tarneit in 2014. Despite facing setbacks, including a guilty plea for breaches of the food safety act in 2019, he has reportedly gained significant support across the western suburbs, with sources claiming he has backing in eight of the 11 branches in the region. Deeming’s supporters contest this assertion, citing her grassroots support and endorsements from influential party members.
In eastern Victoria, senior Liberals have approached journalist and author Sue Smethurst to consider running against Heath, who has been bolstered by her recent promotion to the shadow cabinet. Smethurst, a prior candidate in 2021, has not publicly commented on the speculation.
In Northern Victoria, Steve Brooks is poised to replace long-serving MP Wendy Lovell, who resigned on Monday. The party is also seeking to fill the number two position on the north-east metropolitan ticket following MP Nick McGowan’s decision to contest the lower house seat of Ringwood.
Meanwhile, the Victorian Labor party has postponed its upper house preselection as it awaits a resolution regarding group voting tickets and finalizes its faction stability agreements. The political landscape remains dynamic as candidates prepare for a competitive preselection process leading up to the November elections.
