The Victorian Opposition has lost another senior staffer just three months out from the state election.

Lee Anderson has quit his role as the party’s director of media, effective immediately, just a week after Matthew Guy’s former chief of staff, Mitch Catlin, was forced to stand down.

Catlin’s resignation came after it was revealed he asked billionaire Liberal donor Jonathan Munz to pay more than $100,000 to his private marketing business, in addition to his taxpayer-funded salary.

New chief of staff Nick McGowan (left), pictured with Opposition Leader Matthew Guy, in 2018.Credit:AAP

The contract, which was never executed, would have required the donor to pay $8333 a month to Catlin’s company, Catchy Media Marketing and Management, for contracting services described as “supporting business interests”.

Alex Woff will replace Anderson as director of media, and Anja Wolff will be promoted to deputy director of communications.

The opposition’s five-person media team lost national media adviser Emma Manser less than a fortnight ago.

Guy appointed his best man and childhood friend, Nick McGowan, to replace Catlin as his chief of staff, on Monday.

Lee Anderson.

McGowan will only serve in the chief role for three months before standing down to run for an upper house seat in the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region at the upcoming state election.

The arrangement has frustrated some Liberal MPs and members, who on Monday described the appointment as “messy” and “bizarre” given McGowan’s dual role as both a candidate and chief of staff.

“The person we have put forward can’t campaign for us,” one Liberal MP told The Age, speaking on the condition on anonymity to discuss party matters.

Another former Liberal staffer who worked alongside McGowan in the Baillieu government described the situation as a “f—ing mess”.

But McGowan also has supporters, with one former Liberal staffer describing the appointment as a “solid choice”.

Several Liberal sources told The Age that other candidates considered for the position, including Liberal staffer Brad Stansfield and long-standing Liberal campaigner Simon Frost, ruled themselves out of contention.

With Annika Smethurst

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