The Victorian deputy Liberal leader, Sam Groth, has announced he will resign from parliament at the November state election, citing internal division within his party and after a defamation battle with News Corp.
The former professional tennis player issued a statement on Monday morning announcing his decision not to recontest the election. After a period of personal reflection and conversations with his wife, Brittany, over the summer break, he said he had informed the party’s leader, Jess Wilson, of his decision.
“The public pressure placed on my family in recent months has been significant and realising that some of it came from within my own party has been difficult to ignore,” Groth said. “Coming to that realisation has forced some very personal reflection.
“I entered public life to serve my community, to represent the Mornington Peninsula, and to stand up for what I believe is in the best interests of Victorians. I have always tried to approach this job with honesty, hard work and a clear focus on the people who put their trust in me.
Sign up: AU Breaking News email
“But when you find yourself having to fight against your own team, it becomes impossible to put those interests first. That is not the standard I came into public life to accept, and it is not the kind of politics Victorians deserve.”
Late last year the Herald Sun apologised to the Groths for a series of articles published in July and August that the couple’s lawyers said wrongly suggested their relationship had begun when Brittany was underage.
Groth was suing publisher the Herald and Weekly Times, along with the publication’s editor and a reporter, for defamation, while his wife had launched the first test of a new statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy.
The apology was understood to be part of a settlement that also included a retraction of the offending articles and a six-figure settlement sum.
In his statement on Monday, Groth said it had been an “extremely challenging period for my family”.
“We took on this role for the right reasons, to contribute to our community and try to make a positive difference,” he said. “That purpose has never changed, but the environment around it has.
“I will not be making any further comment. Over summer, I will take time with my family to consider what comes next and the opportunities ahead.”
Groth holds the record for the world’s fastest tennis serve. He won the ultra-marginal seat of Nepean from Labor at the 2022 election with a 7.15% swing to the Liberals, securing a commanding 48.1% of first-preference votes.
He is seen as a major driver of party donations and had spoken about his aspirations to one day become premier.