<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Victorian Opposition Leader </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/john-pesutto" rel="" target="" title="John Pesutto"><span>John Pesutto</span></a><span> will face a leadership challenge today, with a crucial party meeting scheduled in the coming hours.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Berwick MP Brad Battin, Kew MP Jess Wilson and Mornington MP Chris Crewther are expected to contest the leadership.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>If the party room votes in favour of a leadership spill, Pesutto will stand down as leader after two years in the job.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victorian-fires-grampians-national-park-bushfire-continues-to-grow-amid-fresh-emergency-warnings/55afbe0f-d71d-4257-908c-c8afdca6ae74" rel="" target="" title="'Challenging time': Grampians National Park bushfire continues to grow"><strong><span>'Challenging time': Grampians National Park bushfire continues to grow</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The meeting will also include a motion to readmit exiled MP Moira Deeming to the party, a week </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/moira-deeming-ousted-mp-to-remain-exiled-from-party-room/e40e6bdd-5c13-4e56-861b-0303e801b8db" target="_blank" title="after a similar motion failed in a 14-all vote deadlock"><span>after a similar motion failed in a 14-all vote deadlock</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Pesutto </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/moira-deeming-ousted-mp-to-remain-exiled-from-party-room/e40e6bdd-5c13-4e56-861b-0303e801b8db" target="" title="used his vote last week to break the deadlock"><span>used his vote last week to break the deadlock</span></a><span>, telling reporters that the vote concluded "the matter".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, in an extraordinary backflip, Pesutto issued a statement yesterday calling for another meeting on January 15 to "discuss and vote on a motion" to readmit Deeming to the parliamentary Liberal Party.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/john-pesutto-victorian-opposition-leader-to-face-a-leadership-spill/cc2fc023-f9b2-4c6c-a0a4-2f46e30343c5" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/moira-deeming-victoria-liberals-new-expulsion-movement-leader-john-pesutto/dd981c64-9837-4c07-9203-fca08459caa8" rel="" target="" title="Deeming was exiled from the party room last May following her threat to sue Pesutto"><span>Deeming was exiled from the party room last May following her threat to sue Pesutto</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-to-hobart-yacht-race-two-people-dead-in-accidents/ed33c03e-219c-4dd3-8c89-d403db30a11a" rel="" target="" title="Investigation promised after Sydney to Hobart race deaths overnight"><strong><span>Investigation promised after Sydney to Hobart race deaths</span></strong><span> overnight</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Last week, Deeming </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-mp-and-liberal-leaders-defamation-clash-unfolded/005f5233-c7f5-4ec6-afce-a2e375fc56a4" target="" title="won her case against Pesutto last week"><span>won her case against Pesutto</span></a><span>, with the Federal Court ruling that he had defamed her during a series of media appearances and in a party expulsion motion.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The judge found that Pesutto had implied Deeming was unfit to remain in the parliamentary Liberal Party.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Following the ruling, </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/mp-moira-deeming-defamation-suit-against-liberal-john-pesutto-judge-hands-down-decision/d8e456b2-c818-44f7-b503-5391800189ab" target="" title="Pesutto addressed the media, stating he had no plans to step down"><span>Pesutto addressed the media, stating he had no plans to step down</span></a><span> as head of the Liberal Party.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><strong><span>Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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