Conservative Liberal MP Ann-Marie Hermans has been relegated to second spot on the state Liberals’ upper house ticket amid a round of tense preselection battles that coincides with a surging threat from One Nation.
The shift comes as outspoken Liberal MPs Moira Deeming and Bev McArthur are preparing to defend their positions against incoming challenges, while fellow conservative Renee Heath successfully survived a move to unseat her during a preselection vote on Saturday.
On Sunday, South-Eastern Metropolitan MP Hermans lost the top spot to Phillip Pease, a former staffer to moderate ex-MP Matthew Bach, but managed to retain the second position on the ballot after fending off a challenge from Manju Hanumantharayappa.
Hermans thanked Opposition Leader Jess Wilson for her “unwavering support” and acknowledged the delegates who backed her candidacy.
“We have an election to win and a state to save – and that’s exactly what we’ll do,” Hermans told The Age.
She has previously courted controversy, most recently coming under fire after comparing former premier Daniel Andrews to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
At the 2022 election, Hermans was the only Liberal to win a seat from the South Eastern Metropolitan ticket, meaning a second-spot ranking would not have seen her elected under those results.
However, multiple Liberal MPs and senior figures believe Hermans remains well-positioned to retain her seat, noting the party fell only a few hundred votes short of a second MP in 2022.
They are banking on a surge in support across Melbourne’s south-east, which party strategists view as essential to winning the next election.
Insiders noted that despite the relegation, Hermans defied the expectations of some critics simply by securing the second spot.
On Saturday, conservative MP Heath staved off a challenge from author Sue Smethurst to retain the Liberal top spot for Eastern Victoria.
Heath had come under scrutiny in the lead-up to the vote after it was revealed a venue linked to her family – and partially owned by her – was used to host a One Nation branch meeting.
Two sources speaking on the condition of anonymity so they could discuss party matters, said Smethurst had raised questions about the process of the vote, after a delegate was suddenly deemed ineligible late on Friday and others failed to show up.
Smethurst supporters were also frustrated that Senator James Paterson had intervened to phone delegates on Heath’s behalf.
Heath said she was honoured to have been chosen to represent the region and remain part of Wilson’s team “entirely focused on changing the government in November”.
Wilson attended both Heath and Hermans’ preselection, and has provided written endorsements for any MPs who requested them.
Conservative MPs Deeming and McArthur, who is upper house leader, will also face preselection challenges in the coming weeks.
Deeming, who was readmitted to the Liberal party room in late 2024 following a successful defamation suit against former leader John Pesutto, is being challenged by Dinesh Gourisetty for top spot on the Western Metropolitan ticket. Liberal sources say he is currently well placed to win convincingly.
The challenge has fuelled speculation among Liberals that Deeming could be among the first high-profile defections to One Nation should she lose preselection.
The fiery preselection battles come amid the fallout from the South Australian election, where a surging One Nation savaged the Liberal primary vote.
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Daniella White is a state political reporter for The Age. Contact her at da.white@nine.com.auConnect via X or email.
Rachel Eddie is a Victorian state political reporter for The Age. Contact her at rachel.eddie@theage.com.au, rachel.eddie@protonmail.com, or via Signal at @RachelEddie.99Connect via X or email.