Liberal MP Richard Riordan warns colleagues over Moira Deeming expulsion move

Suspended Liberal MP Moira Deeming has written to the five MPs leading a push to expel her, demanding evidence that warranted her being thrown out of the party.

Suspended Liberal MP Moira Deeming has written to the five MPs leading a push to expel her, demanding they outline evidence that warranted her being thrown from the party so she can prepare her defence.

In an email on Tuesday afternoon that was also sent to opposition leader John Pesutto, Ms Deeming said she was for a second time requesting a “description of the conduct for which I stand accused of bringing the party into disrepute”.

The Liberal partyroom will on Friday meet to decide whether Ms Deeming should be expelled from the party for good. If successful, she would be forced to serve out the remainder of her term from the crossbench.

In the email, Ms Deeming confirmed: “I have now received a calendar invite for the expulsion 2.0 meeting.”

Richard Riordan has sought independent legal advice over the validity of a planned vote to expel Moira Deeming. Picture: Luis Ascui

But Ms Deeming said her first attempt to seek evidence supporting the attempt to have her thrown from the party had been ignored.

It comes after the Herald Sun on Tuesday revealed senior Liberal MP Richard Riordan sought independent legal advice over the validity of the planned vote.

In her email, Ms Deeming again denied ever threatening legal action on the Liberal Party, which she said is “untrue”.

“I notified the Leadership first, and then all Liberal MPs, that due to a total breakdown in mediation and internal party processes, I intended to pursue a legally negotiated resolution to the dispute over the terms of my suspension- and I asked for support to do so,” she wrote.

“When I was informed that no support was forthcoming even from the wider group of MPs, I accepted that any unwelcome dispute resolution wouldn’t serve the purpose of genuine closure anyway, and notified the Leadership and the Party President that I wouldn’t pursue that avenue any further.”

Mr Riordan has warned colleagues behind the move that they have failed to act within party rules.

Legal advice has cautioned that if the vote were to proceed, Mrs Deeming could have grounds to challenge the outcome.

Mr Riordan has written to the five MPs behind the expulsion move, and the party leadership, over the legal concerns.

He has argued the inevitable vote should be put off until next week.

Under Liberal Party rules, a notice to expel a member must “specify the reasons for such proposed expulsion” and be signed by the leader, deputy leader, or five MPs.

Mr Riordan was behind a push to update and modernise the party’s constitution last year. Picture: Brad Fleet

Notice of Friday’s vote was sent to MPs on behalf of James Newbury, Roma Britnell, Cindy McLeish, Matthew Guy and Wayne Farnham on Saturday, but was not signed.

They have accused Mrs Deeming of “bringing discredit on the parliamentary party.”

Doubt has also been raised about whether or not the notice adequately specified reasons for expulsion, as required under party rules.

Liberals across both the moderate and conservative factions agree the expulsion motion is likely to succeed.

It would force Mrs Deeming, a Western Metropolitan Region upper house MP, permanently on to the crossbench.

However those opposed to it going ahead on Friday fear the ongoing saga will be drawn out by potential legal challenges if party rules are not adhered to.

Mr Riordan was behind a push to update and modernise the party’s constitution last year.

Friday’s planned vote would be only the second time an expulsion motion has been moved since the new rules came into force.

The first, in March, was abandoned after Mrs Deeming struck a deal to accept a 9-month ban instead of expulsion.

Mrs Deeming has requested evidence supporting the second attempt to expel her.

A Liberal Party spokesperson said there was no plan to move Friday’s partyroom meeting.

Originally published as Liberal MP Richard Riordan warns colleagues over Moira Deeming expulsion move