National

Victorian Liberal president to step down for Senate run

By AAP Newswire

Aug 22, 2023

Victorian Liberal Party president Greg Mirabella — Victorian Liberal president Greg Mirabella will seek third spot on the party's state senate ticket. -AAP Image

Former senator Greg Mirabella will step down as Victorian Liberal Party president in a bid to make a return to federal parliament.

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Mr Mirabella has confirmed he will not renominate for the post next month ahead of making a run for third spot on the Liberals' Victorian Senate ticket at the next federal election.

The senior Liberal figure lost his Senate seat last year after United Australia Party's Ralph Babet secured the sixth and final spot.

Mr Mirabella, who is the husband of former Howard government minister Sophie Mirabella, was only sworn into the Senate in February 2022 after filling a casual vacancy left by former president Scott Ryan.

He took over from Robert Clark as state president in August before the Liberals suffered a state election drubbing in November, prompting the resignation of the party's state director Sam McQuestin.

In May, Mr Mirabella called for an end to internal factional warfare during the Moira Deeming scandal and estimated the controversy had generated $58,000 worth of negative column inches.

"There is a cancer in the Liberal Party. It has been there for a long time," he said at the state party conference in Bendigo.

"It is the propensity with which Liberals take their disputes, their grievances, their dislikes to the media."

By AAP Newswire

Australian Associated Press