Who is Jess Wilson and should the Victorian Labor government be worried?

<p>The Victorian Liberals’ first female leader will focus on the budget, health and housing, relegating crime to a second priority</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/nov/18/australia-news-live-victorian-liberal-leader-spill-libspill-coalition-nsw-brad-battin-mark-speakman-sussan-ley-killing-season-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Within minutes of becoming the first woman to lead the Victorian Liberals, 35-year-old Jess Wilson made a strategic shift that should worry Labor.</p><p>Her predecessor, Brad Battin, a former police officer, had spent almost a year focused overwhelmingly on crime. He was a man so eager to campaign on the issue, he once <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/19/victoria-liberal-leader-brad-battin-press-conference-from-scene-of-fatal-stabbing-ntwnfb">detoured to the scene of a fatal stabbing </a>to hold a press conference before the body had been removed.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/nov/18/jess-wilson-victorian-liberal-party-who-is-new-opposition-leader-should-labor-be-worried">Continue reading...</a>