John Pesutto, leader of the Victorian Liberal Party, affirms he will support the motion to remove Moira Deeming.
John Pesutto, the leader of the opposition in Victoria, has declared that he will back a second move to eject controversial Liberal Party MP Moira Deeming.
After attending a protest against trans rights sponsored by individuals Mr. Pesutto claimed had ties to neo-Nazis, Ms. Deeming was expelled from the party room in late March.
The original motion to expel her from the parliamentary party was modified to a nine-month suspension.
More than a month later, internal tensions have caused the events of that private meeting to come back into the spotlight.
The Herald Sun reported on Thursday that Mr. Pesutto allegedly intimidated Renee Heath, a rookie MP, for taking notes from the discussion in the party room. The leader’s allies in turn asserted that “three or four terrorists” were “holding the Liberal Party hostage” within the organisation.
On that day, Ms. Deeming published a letter in which she said Mr. Pesutto had promised to issue a declaration to “exonerate” her from “false allegations” regarding the rally’s connection to Nazis.
“Given that the Leadership did not make the statement of exoneration, or confirm my return, and that no mediation, or even any minutes exist to settle this dispute, I have advised my lawyers to prepare a legal challenge over my suspension, because I believe that we need to come together as colleagues and have a do-over meeting,” the letter said.
Some Liberal MPs were enraged by the letter because they felt that the focus should be on policy and the expense of living rather than internal party issues.
On Saturday, Ms. Deeming issued a statement on social media in which she claimed that she had just “contemplated” seeking mediation-style legal counsel to help her negotiate the ban.
“Reports that I have, or have planned to, sue the Liberal Party are false,” she stated. “I have never once considered doing so.”
A few hours later, Mr. Pesutto revealed that at a party room meeting on May 12th, five of his party room members had proposed a motion calling for Ms. Deeming’s expulsion. The case will be presented by Ms. Deeming, who will be present.
The five MPs who introduced the resolution for expulsion were Matthew Guy, James Newbury, Cindy McLeish, Roma Britnell, and Wayne Farnham, according to Mr. Pesutto’s confirmation on Sunday.
I believe that what those five party room members did reflected the worries that many in the party room, including myself, have about the necessity of resolving this, he added.
The proposal does not, as had been suggested earlier in the week, sanction three of Ms. Deeming’s allies; rather, it only addresses her prospective expulsion.
When asked if Ms. Deeming had made any legal threats, Mr. Pesutto responded, “There were two threats made on Thursday of last week.”
Members of the Victorian Liberal Party demand a party clean-out due to growing infighting
The Victorian Liberal Party is in danger due to internal conflict, and now its members are demanding a clean-out. Richard Willingham, a political reporter in Victoriana, wonders if this is the point at which the party regains control following the upheaval.
Given that this was Ms. Deeming’s second motion for expulsion, Mr. Pesutto stated that there was “growing concern within the organisation” and that he anticipated “there to be some organisational response to that.”
Mr. Pesutto declined to comment further on Ms. Deeming’s Saturday tweet, stating that the issue would now be discussed during the debate before the vote on Friday.
The story has served as a test for Mr. Pesutto’s new position as opposition leader, which he assumed following the Liberals’ shocking loss in the state election last November.
Mr. Pesutto once more spent a large portion of his time responding to inquiries on the internal party strife when he spoke at a press conference in Greenvale about the impending state budget with locals.
He downplayed the conflicts, claiming that despite a “small group determined to thwart” the party’s reformation process, there was “a growing sense of unity.”
“I’m a new leader, but I know I have the Liberal Party’s resounding backing to transform our party. In 2026, I want to give Victorians two things: first, a better opposition, and second, the better government they deserve,” he added.
