Liberal Party preselection dispute in Western Metropolitan Region for November state election
Consensus Summary
The Victorian Liberal Party has selected Roshena Campbell as its No.1 candidate for the Western Metropolitan Region upper house ticket in the November state election, replacing Moira Deeming after her preselection was revoked last month due to an assault allegation. Campbell, Melbourne’s deputy lord mayor, defeated incumbent MP Trung Luu in a 12-7 vote of the party’s state executive. Both sources confirm Campbell previously lost the 2023 Aston by-election and does not live in the Western Metropolitan Region, which includes areas like Footscray and Sunbury. The preselection process was chaotic, with Deeming’s initial loss to Dinesh Gourisetty later undone after his past involvement with a child sex offender was revealed. Critics, including Maria Kerr, argue Campbell’s appointment lacks a genuine connection to the region, while supporters highlight her high profile and multicultural background as assets. Luu, now running for the No.2 spot, faces a threat from One Nation’s rising support in the area.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Roshena Campbell was selected as the Liberal Party’s No.1 candidate for the Western Metropolitan Region upper house ticket in the November state election
- Trung Luu was initially supported by senior Liberals for the No.1 position but lost to Campbell in a 12-7 vote of the party’s state executive
- Campbell previously ran as the Liberal candidate in the 2023 Aston by-election and lost
- Moira Deeming’s preselection was revoked last month by the Liberal Party’s state executive after an assault allegation
- Campbell currently serves as Melbourne’s deputy lord mayor and would need to resign from the City of Melbourne Council if elected to parliament
- The Western Metropolitan Region electorate includes areas such as Footscray, Sunbury, and Williamstown
- Campbell’s parents migrated from Calcutta in the 1970s
- Campbell was elected to the City of Melbourne Council in 2020 and re-elected four years later
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Campbell’s father’s business was wiped out during the 1990s recession, leading her parents to start a food business
- Campbell attended Pymble Ladies’ College and studied arts/law at Monash University
- Campbell worked at Corrs Chambers Westgarth and became a barrister before entering politics
- Campbell’s parents lived in Point Cook, and she has volunteered at the Footscray soup kitchen for many years
- Maria Kerr, a St Albans resident and former Liberal candidate, criticized the preselection as a ‘slap in the face’ to western residents
- Zareh Ghazarian, a political scientist at Monash University, stated Campbell’s appointment could secure the seat for Liberals due to her profile
- Luu was elected to Brimbank Council in 2020 and has lived in Sunshine North for two decades
- Campbell’s parents were an only child to Indian migrants who grew up in Sydney
- Campbell’s appointment risks Luu losing his seat due to One Nation’s growing appeal on Melbourne’s western fringe
- Moira Deeming accused Matthew Guy of putting her in a headlock at a community function; police found no offence on CCTV
- Dinesh Gourisetty initially won preselection but was not endorsed after a character reference for a child sex offender was revealed
- Andrew Deeming (Moira’s husband) called the party’s decision to select Campbell ‘contempt for the west’ on social media
- Campbell is considered a talent who could quickly enter the frontbench if elected
- The Liberal Party preselection process was described as a ‘shambles’ due to Deeming’s and Gourisetty’s controversies
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Age states Campbell was unsuccessful in seeking preselection for ‘another outer-east electorate’ in 2021, but ABC does not mention this detail
- The Age notes Campbell’s father ran a business in Australia that was wiped out in the 1990s recession, while ABC does not provide this background
- The Age specifies Campbell’s parents lived in Point Cook, but ABC does not mention this location
- The Age includes a quote from Maria Kerr about the Liberal Party losing sight of ‘forgotten people in the outer south-east and outer north,’ while ABC does not reference this claim
Source Articles
‘Slap in the face’: Anger over Deeming replacement for Melbourne’s west
Melbourne Deputy Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell looks set to be elected come November. But the Brunswick resident, who previously ran for election in the outer east, has been criticised for a perceived lack of connection to the west.
Melbourne's deputy lord mayor poised to become Liberal Party candidate
Roshena Campbell has been chosen to replace Moira Deeming on the Liberal ticket at the upcoming state election.