Deeming vows to fight ‘unjust’ move to expel her from Liberal Party

Liberal MP Moira Deeming has vowed to fight Opposition Leader John Pesutto’s push to expel her from the parliamentary party and welcomed the government’s commitment to ban the Nazi salute.

Addressing the saga that could lead to her expulsion from the party room, the upper house MP condemned the neo-Nazis who she says crashed the Let Women Speak rally organised by British anti-trans rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull.

“I condemn the actions of the masked men in black who were later identified as neo-Nazis, who gate-crashed the Let Women Speak event,” Deeming said in a statement.

“Most of the LWS supporters did not realise who they were until they were being escorted out by Victoria Police, when they did the despicable Nazi salute. I completely reject the beliefs of National Socialists (Nazis) and I have seen first-hand the impact that the Holocaust had on a family member.”

On the bid to expel her from the party, Deeming said: “I intend to fight the unjust motion to expel me from the Parliamentary Liberal Party.

“Our shared Liberal traditions ensure robust freedom of thought and speech in our pluralist society but not at the cost of public order and/or an incitement to violence such as this.”

Moira Deeming with activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull.Credit: Twitter

Pesutto on Sunday announced he would move to expel Deeming from the parliamentary Liberal Party, in a vote early next week because of her actions before, during, and after the Let Women Speak rally organised by Keen-Minshull.

He said he was not aware of Deeming’s promotion of an anti-transgender rally until it took place on Saturday on the steps of the Victorian Parliament, where neo-Nazis gathered in support.

Pesutto said Keen-Minshull had previously shared platforms with white supremacists and Deeming should have been aware of those associations.

“Moira Deeming has had an association with people to organise the rally along with her assistance, who have shared platforms with viewpoints with people who promote Nazi views or sympathies. That’s the first thing,” Pesutto said.

“Second, Ms Deeming stayed at the rally when the Nazis arrived. Thirdly, having seen the ugly scenes and having had an opportunity to disown and dissociate from those very people, Ms Deeming chose to celebrate [with organisers], as evidenced on social media.”

Deeming had actively promoted and addressed the event.

She said none of the organisers were involved with the men making Nazi salutes on the steps of Parliament.

“The Let Women Speak event saw a number of women injured by the extreme left counter-protestors who infiltrated the event,” Deeming said.

Dozens of people from neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network attended the rally on Saturday.Credit: Chris Hopkins

“I was assaulted and injured, along with multiple other women, including one who was taken to hospital after being knocked unconscious. They also became violent with police and punched police horses, forcing the event to finish early. I condemn their actions.”

About 30 people from neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network, dressed in black and most with their faces covered, attended the protests on Spring Street supporting Keen-Minshull, repeatedly performing the Nazi salute and holding up a sign with offensive anti-trans language.

On Saturday night, Deeming tweeted that police should have stopped the masked men from doing the salutes who terrified the anti-trans rights groups.

The Liberal leader met with Deeming for about 90 minutes on Sunday. Sources close to Deeming said she believed her potential expulsion was because of her anti-trans views. They said she has no interest in joining another party.

Moira Deeming speaking at an anti-trans rights rally at Parliament House on Saturday.Credit: Youtube

Federal MPs have contacted her offering their support but state MPs accused her of “not being part of the team”.

Prominent Indigenous leader Nyunggai Warren Mundine slammed the decision to try and expel Deeming and said he would be advocating on her behalf. The former president of the ALP, who later stood as a Liberal, describe the motion as “madness”.

“The allegation she’s fraternising with Nazis is absurd,” he told The Age. “I can see why the Liberal Party struggles to win elections – it’s fallen into the same old trap. They need a backbone.”

He said he was “completely ropeable” by the decision and calls Deeming a friend.

Nyunggai Warren Mundine has defended Liberal MP Moira Deeming.Credit: Facebook

The Age has spoken to several sources that confirmed Deeming went to the meeting not believing she would be expelled.

Earlier this month, Deeming had actively promoted the event and spoke about it in the upper house, where she represents the Western Metropolitan Region.

Asked why nobody in the leadership team – including Georgie Crozier and Matt Bach, who lead the opposition in the upper house – had raised concerns about her involvement before Saturday, Pesutto said he could not “babysit the activities of every MP”.

He said he was a strong supporter of free speech but that did not include hate speech and Deeming’s expulsion was necessary to make the Liberal Party an effective opposition in a position to govern in 2026.

Moira Deeming faces being booted from the Liberals after a move by party leader John Pesutto.Credit: Facebook

“I’m not here to say that people can’t have different views. I’m here to say it will never be acceptable in this state of Victoria, as a member of the Liberal Party, to associate with anyone who is connected with or shared platforms with Nazis, white supremacists, ethno-nationalists, or whatever other odious agenda someone wishes to spout,” Pesutto said.

“We need to take these strong, decisive steps to show that we will never support and that we will always oppose anything that is hateful or liable to incite.”

Pesutto will move the motion at a party room meeting early next week.

“I’m confident I’ll have the support of the party room … Every day is a test of leadership and I would consider it a great failure of leadership if I didn’t take this action,” he said.

He said he was not aware of any other Liberal MP participating in the rally but would continue to look into the matter. He said he did not expect the saga to be a disruption for the party as it pursues the Labor government on integrity and the federal party seeks to hold the seat of Aston at a byelection.

The Liberal Party supports a move to criminalise the Nazi salute after Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes confirmed on Monday that the government would seek to strengthen anti-vilification laws.

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