Victorian Liberals slapped with legal letter from spurned candidate

Grant Hutchinson, a former Victorian Liberal candidate for the Croydon seat, has sent a legal letter demanding to be reinstated as candidate by Friday. Hutchinson was stripped of his candidacy last week due to concerns the party had over his failure to disclose legal proceedings with his former law firm. However, Hutchinson denies any wrongdoing, stating he made his party aware of the matter during his vetting and preselection process.

The internal struggle comes just four weeks before early voting opens, adding an unwanted distraction to Opposition Leader Jess Wilson's campaign, following years of turmoil for the party. Hutchinson was replaced by Toby Wooldridge as candidate at last Monday night's meeting. In his legal letter to the party's state executive, Hutchinson's lawyers claim the party failed to give Hutchinson a right of reply and rejected the allegation that he failed to disclose legal proceedings.

They further demand the party provide any evidence of new information about his civil proceedings. The party's actions are alleged to have been based on incomplete, selective, and misleading information, without allowing Hutchinson to demonstrate that the matters had been fully disclosed and vetted. Hutchinson and the Liberal Party have declined to comment on the matter.