Victorian Liberals replace Croydon candidate amid court dispute risk

Less than two months before the Victorian state election, the Liberal Party’s state executive removed lawyer Grant Hutchinson as its candidate for the marginal Croydon electorate, fearing that a Supreme Court case with his former partners at Hutchinson Legal could compel the party to hand over sensitive internal correspondence. The party appointed Toby Wooldridge, a consultant and the son of former Howard-era health minister Michael Wooldridge and nephew of former state MP Mary Wooldridge, to stand in the seat currently held by retiring MP David Hodgett.

Liberal leader Jess Wilson said fresh details about Hutchinson’s ongoing personal litigation rendered his candidacy unsuitable, and declined further comment out of respect for the court process. Sources indicated Hutchinson had cancelled his campaign launch and was perceived as inactive, while the party viewed Wooldridge as a fresh, well-regarded option. The decision mirrors the July removal of upper-house MP Moira Deeming, whose defamation suit against the party leader led to extensive disclosure of party emails. The Liberals need a net gain of 16 seats to form government, and Croydon remains one of the few seats they currently hold.