# Brad Battin

Bradley William Battin (born 12 December 1975) is an Australian politician who has served as the leader of the Victorian Liberal Party since 27 December 2024, and as member for Berwick in the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2022. He was previously the member for Gembrook from 2010 until the seat was abolished in 2022 following the 2021 redistribution. He was formerly a police officer and owned a bakery in Wheelers Hill.

## Early life and career

Battin obtained a Diploma in Public Safety (Policing) with the Victoria Police, and a Graduate Diploma in Adolescent Health and Welfare from the University of Melbourne. In 2020 Battin completed a Graduate Certificate in Business, he went on to complete his Master in Business Administration at Victoria University.

## 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.
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. In 2017, he was appointed the first Victorian Shadow Minister for the Building Industry while still retaining the Emergency Services portfolio.
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.
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.
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.

### 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.

#### 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 Allen. 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" and had been evasive about taking an luxury cruise but that he "did not regret" his failure to appear in Parliament to take a holiday.
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. Attorney General Sonya Kilkenny criticised Battin for his absence in a press conference, 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".

## Electoral history

Electoral history of Brad Battin in the Parliament of Victoria :
| Year | Electorate | Party | First Preference Result | First Preference Result | First Preference Result | First Preference Result | Two Candidate Result | Two Candidate Result | Two Candidate Result | Two Candidate Result |
| Year | Electorate | Party | Votes | % | +% | Position | Votes | % | +% | Result |
| 2010 | Gembrook | Liberal | 18,427 | 47.93 | +7.77 | 1st | 21,926 | 56.75 | +7.35 | Elected |
| 2014 | Gembrook | Liberal | 20,646 | 54.7 | +1.2 | 1st | 22,324 | 59.0 | +0.2 | Elected |
| 2018 | Gembrook | Liberal | 21,202 | 48.26 | −6.42 | 1st | 22,313 | 50.79 | −8.16 | Elected |
| 2022 | Berwick | Liberal | 20,031 | 45.2 | −2.6 | 1st | 24,230 | 54.7 | +3.4 | Elected |

## Political positions

Battin is considered to be factionally conservative within the Liberal Party, although he has disputed this, saying in January 2025 that there is "zero evidence of the fact of me being a conservative".
In 2021, Battin supported increasing the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14.
Battin opposes pill testing.
Battin supports further gas exploration.

## Personal life

Battin is an atheist.