Sources familiar with Moira Deeming’s defamation case say there is now virtually no prospect of the parties reaching a private settlement

John ­Pesutto’s former chief of staff, Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez, urged the Opposition Leader not to act hastily in his push to expel Moira Deeming from his parliamentary team.

John Pesutto allegedly ­ignored his chief adviser before making a call on expelling Moira Deeming. Picture: David Crosling

Opposition Leader John ­Pesutto has been accused of ­ignoring his chief adviser in his push to expel Moira Deeming from his parliamentary team.

Sources have told the Herald Sun Mr Pesutto’s former chief of staff, Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez, urged him to sleep on a decision to make public plans to move a motion to expel Mrs Deeming hours after she attended a Let Women Speak rally on the steps of parliament in March last year.

As a top adviser, Mr Pintos-Lopez was central to crisis meetings held with the party’s then leadership group – which included Mr Pesutto, deputy David Southwick, Georgie Crozier and former MP Matt Bach – the day after the now-infamous rally.

It is understood Mr Pintos-Lopez, who resigned in March after just a year in the job, advised Mr Pesutto not to act hastily, to spend the day gathering information, and to raise any plans with his Liberal Party colleagues first.

Crisis talks were held after Moira Deeming attended a Let Women Speak rally on the steps of parliament. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

But Mr Pesutto issued a press release later that night announcing his plans to move a motion to expel Mrs Deeming, shortly after emailing ­colleagues his decision.

Multiple senior MPs later complained they were not spoken to ahead of the decision.

“Yesterday afternoon, Victorians witnessed an abomination on the steps of the Victorian parliament when neo-Nazi protesters engaged in an affront to the values we should all hold dear as Victorians,” Mr Pesutto said.

“The violence, prejudice and hate that these protesters conveyed by their odious actions will never be acceptable in our state. I condemn them and commit to opposing such hate wherever it may exist.

Mr Pesutto described the rally as an ‘abomination on the steps of the Victorian parliament’. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

“This afternoon I met with Moira Deeming MP who attended yesterday’s rally. I discussed her involvement in organising, promoting and participating in a rally with speakers and other organisers who themselves have been publicly associated with far right-wing extremist groups including neo-Nazi activists. At our meeting, I informed Ms Deeming that I will move a motion at the next party room meeting to expel her as a member of the parliamentary Liberal Party as her position is untenable.”

The press release, and a dossier of evidence relied upon to move an initial expulsion ­motion, are central to a defamation action being pursued by Mrs Deeming. It expected to go to trial in September.

Sources familiar with the case say there is now virtually no prospect of the parties reaching a private settlement, after further unsuccessful attempts over the past fortnight.

Asked if the matter was now certainly headed for court, Mrs Deeming said: “It appears so, unfortunately.”

Dozens of affidavits have now been filed in the case with Liberal Party MPs giving statements on behalf of both Mr Pesutto and Mrs Deeming.

Mr Pesutto has settled two related defamation actions after issuing public apologies to women’s rights activists Kellie-Jay Keen and Angela Jones.

Originally published as Sources familiar with Moira Deeming’s defamation case say there is now virtually no prospect of the parties reaching a private settlement