The Victorian Liberals have been thrown into further disarray, with a shadow cabinet member resigning from the front after opposition leader John Pesutto refused to resign.
Sam Groth, a first-term MP who has been touted as a future leader, announced on Friday night that he could not continue with his youth, tourism, sports and events portfolios.
“Following yesterday’s ruling by the Federal Court against John Pesutto and his subsequent decision to remain as Liberal leader, I have decided to resign from my position,” the 37-year-old Nepean MP said in a statement.
Groth, a former tennis professional who retired after the 2018 Australian Open, gave no indication he intended to challenge Pesutto but told the Herald Sun in July that he wanted to be prime minister.
His decision to resign has divided party members, with some praising him and others criticizing the move.
One Liberal MP, speaking to AAP on condition of anonymity, questioned whether Groth had enough experience to take on the top job.
—You have no hope of getting the numbers, I know. (Berwick MP) Brad (Battin) will probably come out on top,” they said.
“I think Brad will come in and John will end up having to resign. It’s just going to be too difficult.”
Victorian MP Sam Groth (pictured with wife Brittany) has resigned as opposition leader after party leader John Pesutto refused to resign over the defamation loss.
Pesutto (left) was found to have defamed Liberal MP Moira Deeming after he made comments about her after she attended a rally in 2023.
Another Liberal MP praised Groth for his resignation and encouraged anyone who had “irreconcilable differences” with Pesutto to do the same.
“If you feel the same way, don’t be a soft idiot, follow Sam’s example,” they said.
“I fear for Sam…my concern for him is that other people who revolve around him have sold him a puppy because those people who revolve around him have more vested interests in killing John than they do in supporting Sam.”
A third Liberal MP said Groth might not have lost his balance, but rather “tripped over his shoelaces”.
“Sam said in the election that he was ‘ready to serve’… he could have committed a double fault,” they said.
Questions were raised about the viability of Pesutto’s leadership after Judge David O’Callaghan on Thursday awarded $300,000 in damages to former Liberal MP Moira Deeming.
Pesutto made defamatory comments in media interviews and filed a motion for expulsion from the party following a demonstration in March 2023 that Ms. Deeming attended.
But the opposition leader doubled down on his decision not to resign on Friday and insisted the party “move on”.
Ms. Deeming (pictured Thursday) was awarded $300,000 in damages on Thursday.
“I always had the determination to continue leading,” he told reporters.
His refusal did not stop Liberal MP Bev McArthur from suggesting a leadership spill take place, declaring that if Pesutto is confident in his position, “he can prove it”.
The AAP has been told that five or six state Liberal MPs must sign a document and present it to the party’s floor secretary to call a special meeting.
There is a five business day waiting period before such a meeting can take place.