Political career
Battin was first elected as the member for Gembrook at the November 2010 state election and was re-elected in 2014 and 2018. Following a redistribution causing the seat of Gembrook to be abolished,Battin was elected to the new seat of Berwick at the 2022 election.
In 2014,following the defeat of the Napthine government,Battin was promoted to the new Shadow Cabinet under Matthew Guy as the Shadow Minister for Emergency Services and Environment. [4] In 2017,he was appointed the first Victorian Shadow Minister for the Building Industry while retaining the Emergency Services portfolio. [5] During his time as Shadow Minister for Emergency Services he made an inaccurate statement to Parliament regarding a supposed lack of "career firefighters" on the ground during the first hours of the Black Saturday bushfires. His statement was unsupported by the findings of the Royal Commission that investigated and reported on the events and his comments were roundly criticised as offensive by firefighters who had participated in defending against the fire,with Battin later apologising for his mistake on social media. [6] [7]
In 2020,Battin moved to Shadow Minister for Youth Justice,Shadow Minister for Crime Prevention,Shadow Minister for Victim Support,Shadow Minister for Roads (Metro),Shadow Minister for Road Safety and the TAC. [8]
In March 2021,Battin attempted to oust Michael O'Brien as leader of the state Liberal Party,but was defeated in a 22–9 vote,following which he resigned from his shadow ministry positions. [9]
After the Liberal Party lost the 2022 state election,Battin ran in the subsequent Liberal Party state leadership election after previous leader Matthew Guy resigned. He was endorsed by two of his former election challengers Ryan Smith and Richard Riordan,but lost the vote 17–16 to John Pesutto,the member for Hawthorn. [10]
Opposition leader (2024–present)
In December 2024,following internal party fractures over the banning of Moira Deeming from the Liberal party room,and the loss of a defamation case by then-leader John Pesutto,Battin called for and won the leadership spill succeeding Pesutto as the leader of the Victorian Liberal Party. [11]
On 19 August 2025,Battin was forced to defend politicising a fatal stabbing when he diverted from his morning commute in order to hold a press conference at the scene of the crime where body of the victim was still being processed by forensic analysts,prior to the circumstances of the man's death being established and before the victim had been formally identified with next of kin notified. Detective Inspector Dean Thomas from the Victoria Police homicide squad declined to comment when asked if it was appropriate for Battin to hold a press conference at an active crime scene. Victorian Government minister Colin Brooks requested that Battin apologise to the family of the man which Battin rejected,saying he had "no regrets" over the incident. [12]
Luxury cruise scandal
In March 2025 a political scandal erupted when Battin was absent from the Parliament during the introduction of high profile crime reform legislation by Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan. The criticism erupted from within his own party over a lack of leadership when he explained his week long absence as "visiting his parents" who were impacted by Cyclone Alfred,only for it to be revealed that he had actually spent 4 days on the luxury cruise liner Quantum of the Seas . Battin latter admitted that he was "not upfront" about taking an luxury cruise but that he "did not regret" his failure to appear in Parliament to take a holiday. [13] [14]
The scandal was compared by many Liberal Party members to former Prime Minister Scott Morrison taking an overseas holiday in Hawaii during a bushfire crisis in Australia in 2019. In a press conference,Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny criticised Battin for his absence,saying "While the Liberal leader was living it up on a cruise last week,the Allan Labor Government was announcing Australia's toughest bail laws ever". [15]
"Ditch The Bitch" speech
In July 2025 Battin attended &gave a speech on top of a firetruck at a protest in Werribee held by a small number of rural farmers,Country Fire Authority volunteers and Peter Marshall,the National Secretary of the United Firefighters Union of Australia. The protest regarded Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen and government changes designed to increase funding for emergency services including the CFA,Victoria State Emergency Service and the 000 emergency telephone number. The protest included CFA firetrucks that had been emblazoned with various anti-Government protest slogans alongside Liberal Party branded advertising posters,with one of the vehicles having the phrase "ditch the bitch" featured prominently. His appearance was viewed in the media as reminiscent of Tony Abbott's 2011 appearance at a protest against the Julia Gillard government carbon tax where he and a number of MPs from the Liberal party gave speeches alongside signs saying "Ditch the Witch" and "Bob Brown's Bitch". Battin refused to apologise for his appearance at the protest or state if he had seen the slogans during his attendance. [16]
The slogan was criticised by anti-domestic violence organisations including Respect Victoria. Acting Premier Jaclyn Symes described Battin as "turning a blind to sexist slogans at rallies he attends",as well as referencing ongoing issues within the wider Liberal Party regarding their perception among women in the country. In the wake of the scandal CFA leadership issued a warning over participating in partisan politics and urged the organisation's members to remain apolitical. [17] [18]
Political positions
Battin is considered to be factionally conservative within the Liberal Party, [19] [20] [21] although he has disputed this,saying in January 2025 that there is "zero evidence of the fact of me being a conservative". [22]
In 2021,Battin supported increasing the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14. [23]
Battin opposes pill testing. [24]
Battin supports further gas exploration. [25]
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