Ex-Justice Party MP assured Hinch of loyalty before leadership fracas

Derryn Hinch says former Victorian Justice Party MP Catherine Cumming assured him of her loyalty just hours before threatening to quit over a leadership dispute.

Derryn Hinch says ex-Victorian Justice Party MP Catherine Cumming assured him of her loyalty just hours before threatening to quit over a leadership dispute.

Ms Cumming has been sworn in as an independent for the Western Metropolitan Region after being disendorsed following her unsuccessful bid to lead the state party.

“On Monday morning … she said she was loyal and loved the party and would stay with the party,” Mr Hinch told 3AW.

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Catherine Cumming will be sworn in as an independent despite being elected with Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party last month. Picture: AAP Image/Penny Stephens

But after losing the party’s leadership vote that night, the former radio shock jock said Ms Cumming “came downstairs, she said to me ‘you must go back upstairs and get them to convince their minds or I’m out of here’.”

“She’s denied saying it but she said those exact words, quote, to me were ‘I told them I will throw the toys out of the pram and quit if you don’t make me leader’.”

Ms Cumming was disendorsed on Tuesday after losing the state party’s leadership vote to Western Victoria MP Stuart Grimley.

She will be sworn in to the upper house on Wednesday and has denied being elected on Mr Hinch’s coat tails.

“I was voted in with organic preferences and voted in with my personal vote,” Ms Cumming told 3AW.

She added she would have run as an independent from the outset of the November state election but “Derryn had said that he would support me”.

“And it was clear in the end the support was taken away for me”.

Ms Cumming also said she was unhappy with the Justice Party’s preference system.

“I became obviously blatantly aware with all the media around Glenn Druery that he has obviously a side business of looking after minor parties.”

“I felt that the party didn’t really want me elected. They were using me to help the Shooters (Fishers and Farmers) Party.”

Despite the leadership fracas, Ms Cumming sent Mr Hinch a “lovely” text on Wednesday morning.

She wrote “I love what you do, I love your spirit and I love what you’re doing and sorry,” Mr Hinch said.