Sam Groth will resign from the Victorian Parliament next week, triggering a by-election in the Mornington Peninsula seat of Nepean.
The first-term Liberal MP had already flagged he would leave state politics at the November 2026 election. His decision to step down early means Nepean voters are expected to be called to the polls twice in 2026, once for the by-election and again for the scheduled state election later this year.
Groth thanks voters, points to ‘other opportunities’
A statement after the resignation was reported, saying he intended to pursue “other opportunities” and thanking locals for the chance to represent the electorate.
It has been an honour to serve the people of Nepean and I sincerely thank them for the trust they placed in me for the opportunity to represent our community.
Groth’s resignation follows his earlier announcement that he would not contest Nepean at the next election, with reporting at the time linking his decision to pressure on his family.
Liberal leader backs Groth, cites toll on families
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said she supported Groth’s decision, describing politics as a tough environment that can place heavy strain on families.
Politics is a really tough game. It’s a really tough environment and sometimes it can take an incredible toll on people’s families,
Wilson said the party would use the by-election campaign to put forward its message on issues such as cost of living, crime, health and housing, as Victoria heads towards the November state election.
Premier turns question time into a takedown
In Parliament, Premier Jacinta Allan used question time to needle the opposition, leaning into tennis language as she criticised the Liberal Party’s credibility.
I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her volley across the net with this question about the emergency services levy, because it clearly shows how once again Victorians just cannot take this Liberal Party seriously with questions like this.
Allan escalated the attack in the same answer, describing the opposition as divided and linking the resignation to broader instability.
Let us be clear: you cannot take this divided Liberal outfit seriously. Their own members of Parliament cut and run.
Deputy Premier Ben Carroll also piled on, using the resignation to target the Liberal leadership.
It’s game, set, match for the Victorian Liberal party,
Carroll said Labor’s state headquarters and local branch would meet to decide whether Labor will run a candidate in Nepean.
A by-election is coming, but the date is still unknown
A by-election is triggered when an MP resigns and the seat is declared vacant. The Victorian Electoral Commission then publishes the formal timetable, including nominations, early voting and polling day details.
At the time of writing, the Nepean by-election date has not been announced.
Cost and timing in the spotlight
The early resignation also puts the cost of a stand-alone vote back into focus. Recent Victorian state by-elections have been reported as costing in the order of a little over $2 million each, depending on the electorate and logistics.
Nepean sits on the southern Mornington Peninsula and was won by Groth for the Liberals at the 2022 state election.
