Legislative Assembly · District of Hawthorn
John Pesutto
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Hawthorn›
Hawthorn covers Hawthorn, Hawthorn East and Camberwell, plus parts of Canterbury, Glen Iris and Surrey Hills (~21.01 km²). Traditionally one of the safest Liberal seats in Victoria — it has produced past premiers including Sir William McPherson and Ted Baillieu — though Labor's John Kennedy won it in an upset in 2018 before Liberal leader John Pesutto reclaimed it in 2022. Exact 2022 margin not confirmed in sources reviewed.
Background
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Hawthorn since November 2022. VVerified — PARL-JPParliament of Victoria, "Mr John Pesutto MP"View source
Has held no shadow portfolio since being removed as Liberal Party leader in December 2024 — omitted from Brad Battin's shadow cabinet (announced January 2025) and again from Jess Wilson's shadow cabinet (announced November 2025), remaining on the backbench under both subsequent leaders. VVerified — ABC-BATTIN, ABC-WILSONABC News, "John Pesutto absent from Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin's new shadow ministry" (7 Jan 2025)View sourceABC News, "New leader Jess Wilson to remain shadow treasurer under Victorian opposition reshuffle" (30 Nov 2025)View source
Says he was Senior Fellow at Melbourne University's School of Government and a fortnightly columnist for The Age. SSelf-stated — LIBV-JOHN-PESUTTOLiberal Victoria, "John Pesutto — Liberal candidate profile" (27 Dec 2024)View source
Before entering Parliament, worked in the Office of the Premier from 2011 to 2014, including as counsel to Premier Denis Napthine, chief of staff to the Health Minister, and senior adviser to Premier Ted Baillieu. VVerified — WP-JP, IS-JPWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View sourceInside Story, "The rise and fall of John Pesutto"View source
Director of the Productivity and Employment Unit at the Institute of Public Affairs in 2010. VVerified — WP-JPWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View source
Practised as an industrial relations and employment lawyer at Littleton Hackford (1994–1996), Henty Jepson & Kelly (1997–2006), and Phillips Fox/DLA Phillips Fox (2006–2009); earlier worked as an electorate officer for federal Liberal MP Russell Broadbent (1996–1997). RReported — WP-JP, IS-JPWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View sourceInside Story, "The rise and fall of John Pesutto"View source
Between losing his seat in 2018 and regaining it in 2022, ran his own legal and corporate-advisory consultancy advising government departments and public-sector agencies on governance and integrity, and held a Senior Fellow position at the University of Melbourne's School of Government, during which he also wrote a fortnightly column for The Age. VVerified — PARL-JP, IS-JPParliament of Victoria, "Mr John Pesutto MP"View sourceInside Story, "The rise and fall of John Pesutto"View source
Says he was Victoria's Shadow Attorney-General and Member for Hawthorn from 2014 to 2018. SSelf-stated — LIBV-JOHN-PESUTTOLiberal Victoria, "John Pesutto — Liberal candidate profile" (27 Dec 2024)View source
Says he was Counsel to Premier Denis Napthine, Chief of Staff to the Health Minister and a Senior Adviser to Premier Ted Baillieu. SSelf-stated — LIBV-JOHN-PESUTTOLiberal Victoria, "John Pesutto — Liberal candidate profile" (27 Dec 2024)View source
Lives in the Hawthorn electorate, in the Camberwell/Glenferrie Road area, with his wife Betty and their three daughters. RReported — JUNC-JP, IS-JPThe Junction (Swinburne University journalism), "Hawthorn – Liberals: John Pesutto" (30 Oct 2018)View sourceInside Story, "The rise and fall of John Pesutto"View source
Describes himself professionally as "Husband and father, Member for Hawthorn." SSelf-stated — LI-JPLinkedIn, "John Pesutto profile"View source
Says he has been part of the Hawthorn community for over 20 years. SSelf-stated — LIBV-JOHN-PESUTTOLiberal Victoria, "John Pesutto — Liberal candidate profile" (27 Dec 2024)View source
Attended Catholic Regional College, Traralgon (1983–1988). RReported — WP-JPWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View source
Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Commerce, University of Melbourne (1989–1993). RReported — WP-JPWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View source
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Debt and financial mismanagement as the root cause of Victoria's cost-of-living crisis: "The implications of debt on health, education, roads, child protection, you name it, the full range of health services, is creating a cost-of-living crisis for Victoria. And it all stems from financial mismanagement."
Opposed weakening youth bail laws, citing Victoria Police Association warnings that doing so "comes at a significant risk to public safety."
Housing supply through planning and cultural-heritage approval reform: "We will turn this around in Victoria and give people the chance to own their own home."
Opposed the state government's high-density rezoning of Boroondara without genuine local consultation: "Victoria needs more housing, but it must be done thoughtfully, respectfully and with genuine consultation."
Fiscal caution on the Suburban Rail Loop: "We'll pause it and review it... if you commit to the whole project, you're committing to a $200 to $300 billion project. We're not going to do that."
What Victorians say matters most
5 poll-led issuesCost of living and crime have ranked 1st or 2nd in every Victorian poll since mid‑2025, with debt and housing close behind — see schema §3 for the polling this grouping is based on (DemosAU, Ipsos Issues Monitor, Roy Morgan). The 0-10 'priorityScore' on each candidate's issue entries is NOT a measure of true importance or an independent ranking of what a candidate actually cares about. It reflects how much detail and specificity exists in what that candidate has actually said publicly on that issue -- a named policy mechanism and a verified voting record score higher than a one-line stated priority, regardless of the issue's real-world weight. Render this distinction in the UI wherever the score appears; do not label it just 'Priority' without the qualifier.
Cost of living
Frames Victoria's debt burden as the underlying driver of cost-of-living pressure: "The implications of debt on health, education, roads, child protection... is creating a cost-of-living crisis for Victoria. And it all stems from financial mismanagement."
Opposed extending payroll tax to GPs, arguing it means "higher out-of-pocket costs, reduced access to bulk billing and more pressure on our emergency departments," and said he would fight to scrap it.
Crime and community safety
As Opposition Leader, pressed the government in Parliament to rule out weakening youth bail laws, noting the Victoria Police Association had warned in March 2023 that doing so "comes at a significant risk to public safety."
Housing affordability and supply
As Liberal leader, launched a housing-supply policy (28 July 2024) targeting planning and Aboriginal cultural-heritage approval delays, including clearer approval timelines/costs and annual public audits of cultural-heritage and Melbourne Water approval processes: "We will turn this around in Victoria and give people the chance to own their own home."
State government debt and fiscal management
Central framing as Opposition Leader: "As we've seen from this week's budget, if you cannot manage money, you can never look after the most vulnerable in our community."
Opposed the Suburban Rail Loop's cost trajectory: "We'll pause it and review it... if you commit to the whole project, you're committing to a $200 to $300 billion project. We're not going to do that."
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Sought to pause and review the Suburban Rail Loop over its escalating cost trajectory (see debt-fiscal).
As 2022 candidate, committed to removing the Tooronga and Kooyong level crossings within a Coalition government's first term.
Also on the record
6 substance issuesThese don't top “biggest issue” polling, but carry real 2026 policy weight and genuine differences between parties.
Education and training
Repeatedly raised Auburn High School's facilities and funding shortfall in Parliament, including a dispute over toilet-block renovation funding (see seat-specific issues).
Health and healthcare access
Opposed extending payroll tax to GPs, warning it means "higher out-of-pocket costs, reduced access to bulk billing and more pressure on our emergency departments," and pledged to fight to scrap it.
Urban planning and housing density
In an 18 November 2025 parliamentary speech, said government planning proposals would allow "16-storey towers or more in and around Auburn village, Glenferrie and Burwood Road" and "push four- to six-storey buildings or more deep into quiet, narrow streets."
Said the government had "stripped residents of their rights to object to inappropriate developments" through "imposing centralised, one-size-fits-all planning controls," and that "our community is angry because we are not being listened to."
Climate and energy transition
As Opposition Leader, criticised the government's State Electricity Commission relaunch as offering "nothing really new," saying the initial $1 billion committed "won't go anywhere near to the stated aims."
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Led the Coalition's formal withdrawal of support for the Statewide Treaty process in January 2024: "I don't think it can be denied that institutionalising differences like this in my view, is not something that Victorians or even Australians overwhelmingly wanted," citing the defeated Indigenous Voice referendum result.
Called for any treaty agreement to be decided by public vote rather than by Parliament alone: "This is something that concerns all the people and questions of this magnitude should not be decided... just by bringing it forward in the parliament."
Regional and rural Victoria
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Local & party context
2 fieldsNot scored the way the eleven issues above are — these are fixed facts about the seat and the party, not positions with more or less emphasis behind them.
Auburn High School's ageing bathroom facilities and a funding shortfall: the school had contributed over $2 million of its own budget to major projects over five years; a $495,000 state Minor Capital Works Fund allocation — the first toilet-block renovation since 1976 — required the school to find a further $190,000. VVerified — HANS-AUBURNHSParliament of Victoria, "Auburn High School — Adjournment, Legislative Assembly" (3 Aug 2023)View source
Rising building costs meant only 8 of 12 planned bathrooms could be completed, with the government then seeking at least $256,000 more to finish the project. The main building serves 730+ students with only six cubicles and three urinals for boys and 14 cubicles for girls. VVerified — HANS-AUBURNHSParliament of Victoria, "Auburn High School — Adjournment, Legislative Assembly" (3 Aug 2023)View source
Opposition to state government-mandated high-density rezoning around Auburn village, Glenferrie Road, Burwood Road, Camberwell Junction and Hawthorn Station, which he says would allow towers of 16 storeys or more and push four-to-six-storey buildings into quiet residential streets; backed the Boroondara Community Group's campaign against the plan. VVerified — HANS-PLANNING25Parliament of Victoria, "Planning policy, Legislative Assembly" (18 Nov 2025)View source
Committed, as 2022 candidate, to removing the Tooronga and Kooyong level crossings within a Coalition government's first term — level crossings on the edge of the Boroondara area rather than squarely inside Hawthorn's own boundary. SSelf-stated — MN-LXRMirage News, "Liberal candidate commits to Glen Iris, Tooronga and Kooyong level crossing removals" (8 Sept 2022)View source
Broadly aligned with the current Liberal-Nationals platform on fiscal restraint and Suburban Rail Loop scepticism — both stances he took as leader and which the party has substantially retained since he left the role. VVerified — ABC-BUDGET24ABC News, "John Pesutto wants to be Victoria's premier in two years — can he turn his party's fortunes around?" (3 May 2024)View source
His January 2024 withdrawal of Coalition support for the Statewide Treaty negotiations was his own decision as leader — a reversal of the party room's own 2022 vote in favour of the negotiation framework — and has remained the party's position since. VVerified — ABC-TREATYABC News, "Victorian Coalition withdraws Aboriginal treaty support, citing cultural heritage concerns" (22 Jan 2024)View source
The clearest instance of him breaking from the party's socially conservative faction was internal rather than policy-platform: as leader he moved to suspend and then expel Moira Deeming from the party room in 2023 over her attendance at a rally later linked to neo-Nazi gatecrashers. VVerified — FCA-JUDG, WP-JPFederal Court of Australia, "Deeming v Pesutto (No 3) [2024] FCA 1430" (12 Dec 2024)View sourceWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View source
That conflict produced a Federal Court defamation finding against him (see Track record) and cost him the leadership in December 2024. VVerified — FCA-JUDG, WP-JPFederal Court of Australia, "Deeming v Pesutto (No 3) [2024] FCA 1430" (12 Dec 2024)View sourceWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View source
Track record & prior candidacies
Elected Member for Hawthorn at the 2014 Victorian state election. VVerified — WP-JP, PARL-JPWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View sourceParliament of Victoria, "Mr John Pesutto MP"View source
Lost Hawthorn at the 2018 election to Labor's John Kennedy, in an upset in a previously safe Liberal seat. VVerified — WP-JP, PARL-JPWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View sourceParliament of Victoria, "Mr John Pesutto MP"View source
Out of Parliament 2018–2022; re-elected Member for Hawthorn at the 2022 election, and is the sitting member. VVerified — WP-JP, PARL-JPWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View sourceParliament of Victoria, "Mr John Pesutto MP"View source
No local council or federal parliamentary terms served. VVerified — PARL-JPParliament of Victoria, "Mr John Pesutto MP"View source
Shadow Attorney-General under Opposition Leader Matthew Guy, from December 2014 until losing his seat in November 2018. VVerified — WP-JP, IS-JPWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View sourceInside Story, "The rise and fall of John Pesutto"View source
Elected Liberal Party leader and Leader of the Opposition on 8 December 2022, defeating Brad Battin 17 votes to 16 in a party-room ballot; also held the portfolio of Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs within his own shadow ministry until being deposed. VVerified — WP-JP, IS-JPWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View sourceInside Story, "The rise and fall of John Pesutto"View source
Deposed as party leader in a party-room spill on 27 December 2024, replaced by Brad Battin. Omitted from Battin's shadow cabinet (announced 7 January 2025) and again from Jess Wilson's shadow cabinet (announced 30 November 2025) after Wilson replaced Battin as leader on 18 November 2025 — has held no portfolio since December 2024. VVerified — WP-JP, ABC-BATTIN, ABC-WILSONWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View sourceABC News, "John Pesutto absent from Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin's new shadow ministry" (7 Jan 2025)View sourceABC News, "New leader Jess Wilson to remain shadow treasurer under Victorian opposition reshuffle" (30 Nov 2025)View source
In March 2023, then-Liberal MP Moira Deeming spoke at a "Let Women Speak" rally on the steps of Victorian Parliament House that was gate-crashed by a separate group who performed Nazi salutes. As Opposition Leader, Pesutto moved to suspend and later expel Deeming from the parliamentary party room over her attendance, and made public statements about her conduct in a 3AW radio interview, an ABC television interview and a press conference. VVerified — FCA-JUDG, ABC-DEEMFederal Court of Australia, "Deeming v Pesutto (No 3) [2024] FCA 1430" (12 Dec 2024)View sourceABC News, "Moira Deeming wins defamation case against John Pesutto, judge orders $300k in damages" (12 Dec 2024)View source
Deeming and two rally co-organisers sued Pesutto for defamation in the Federal Court. He settled with the two co-organisers in May 2024 with a public apology and no damages paid. Deeming did not settle; her case went to a 15-day trial from September 2024. VVerified — ABC-SETTLE, FCA-JUDGABC News, "Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto apologises, avoids paying compensation after settling defamation claims" (17 May 2024)View sourceFederal Court of Australia, "Deeming v Pesutto (No 3) [2024] FCA 1430" (12 Dec 2024)View source
On 12 December 2024, the Federal Court (Deeming v Pesutto (No 3) [2024] FCA 1430) found Pesutto had defamed Deeming on three occasions, rejected his defences, and awarded her $300,000 in damages. VVerified — FCA-JUDG, ABC-DEEMFederal Court of Australia, "Deeming v Pesutto (No 3) [2024] FCA 1430" (12 Dec 2024)View sourceABC News, "Moira Deeming wins defamation case against John Pesutto, judge orders $300k in damages" (12 Dec 2024)View source
The judgment triggered internal Liberal Party pressure that led to Pesutto's removal as party leader in a party-room spill on 27 December 2024, with Deeming simultaneously readmitted to the party room. VVerified — WP-JP, ABC-DEEMWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View sourceABC News, "Moira Deeming wins defamation case against John Pesutto, judge orders $300k in damages" (12 Dec 2024)View source
On 16 May 2025, the Federal Court ordered Pesutto to pay approximately $2.3 million toward Deeming's legal costs, on top of the $300,000 damages. Facing bankruptcy — which would have forced him from Parliament and triggered a Hawthorn by-election — the Victorian Liberal Party's administrative committee agreed on 19–20 June 2025 to lend him $1.5 million at market interest, which he repays over time, to settle the debt with Deeming and avoid bankruptcy. VVerified — FCA-COSTS, SBS-JPFederal Court of Australia, "Reasons for determination — costs, Deeming v Pesutto, VID1023/2023" (16 May 2025)View sourceSBS News, "John Pesutto spared from bankruptcy with a $1.5 million loan from Victorian Liberals"View source
Had separately raised around $750,000 through a public fundraising campaign and private backers toward the costs, which fell well short of the amount owed. RReported — SBS-JPSBS News, "John Pesutto spared from bankruptcy with a $1.5 million loan from Victorian Liberals"View source
Unsuccessfully contested Liberal Party preselection for the federal seats of McMillan (against sitting member Russell Broadbent), Kooyong (in 2009, against Josh Frydenberg) and Deakin (around 2012, against Michael Sukkar). RReported — IS-JPInside Story, "The rise and fall of John Pesutto"View source
These were internal party preselection contests, not general-election candidacies; he never appeared on a federal ballot paper. RReported — IS-JPInside Story, "The rise and fall of John Pesutto"View source
Also lost the Liberal Party room leadership ballot on 27 December 2024, having won an earlier leadership ballot against the same rival, Brad Battin, in December 2022. VVerified — WP-JP, IS-JPWikipedia, "John Pesutto"View sourceInside Story, "The rise and fall of John Pesutto"View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Under the Electoral Act 2002 (as reinstated by the Electoral Further Amendment Act 2026 following the High Court's 15 April 2026 invalidation of Victoria's prior donations/funding framework), a candidate is eligible for public funding if they receive at least 4% of first-preference votes in their contest, or are elected.
Funding is then calculated against the candidate's audited statement of campaign expenditure and their vote count, up to legislated maximum amounts — a candidate cannot receive more in public funding than they spent on the campaign (per the VEC's own funding guidance, accessed 2026-08-23).