John Pesutto’s lawyers launch scathing attack on exiled Libs MP Moira Deeming

Lawyers for Opposition Leader John Pesutto have accused exiled Liberal MP Moira Deeming of ruining her own reputation ahead of the pair’s first court date in a defamation feud.

Lawyers for Opposition Leader John Pesutto have launched a scathing attack on exiled Liberal MP Moira Deeming ahead of the pair’s first court date in their much-hyped defamation feud.

Mrs Deeming is suing Mr Pesutto over his efforts to expel her from the parliamentary wing of the Liberal Party after she attended a Let Women Speak rally last March.

The case, which begins in the Federal Court on Friday, relies on media releases, press conferences and interviews Mr Pesutto gave following the rally that was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis.

It will also draw upon a dossier Mr Pesutto’s office circulated to MPs and the media in seeking support to expel her from the state Liberal Party room.

In a 57-page defence filed with the court this week lawyers for Mr Pesutto denied any wrongdoing and accused Mrs Deeming of ruining her own reputation.

Exiled Liberal MP Moira Deeming and Opposition Leader John Pesutto. Picture: Facebook

It also argues her conduct before, during, and after the rally, and her association with the event organisers make her unfit to be a member of the parliamentary Liberal Party.

Among dozens of claims Mrs Deeming is accused of routinely leaking sensitive documents to the media, and failing to disassociate herself from people with known “nazi sympathies”.

“Deeming has repeatedly made or acceded to public statements falsely asserting that Pesutto has said that she is a Nazi or has Nazi associations or is a Nazi sympathiser, when he has never done anything of the sort, and has thereby acted in a manner that is likely to have caused damage to her own reputation,” the defence argued.

Lawyers for John Pesutto have attacked Mrs Deeming. Picture: David Crosling

It further claimed Mrs Deeming was aware of “a fairly big group from the right wing” who were at the rally “agitating the left wing quite significantly” and should have left.

“During the Rally, a group of at least a dozen men dressed in black clothing, some of whom were masked, spread across the steps of Parliament House in a straight line, and performed the Nazi salute flanked by a banner that read, ‘DESTROY PAEDO FREAKS’. The Nazi element, and the views they expressed, were prominent and visible to most of those who attended the rally, including Deeming.

“Deeming remained present at the rally.”

Mrs Deeming is accused of drinking “champagne from flutes” with event organisers “in a display of celebration in reference to what they considered to be the success of the rally.”

But the defence appears to concede Mrs Deeming found the presence of the Nazis “horrifying”.

Independent Liberal MP Moira Deeming. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

Lawyers for Mr Pesutto have foreshadowed a substantial truth defence if he is found liable.

“At all relevant times, Pesutto has repeatedly and unequivocally acknowledged publicly that he does not believe Deeming to be a neo-Nazi, a white supremacist, or anything of similar substance or effect, and/or distinguished between the conduct, associations and views of Deeming and the other organisers,” the defence states.

“Pesutto has throughout his political life believed in and espoused values of individual liberty, personal responsibility, the responsible exercise of freedom of speech, equality

of opportunity, an enterprising culture, the rule of law and a just and humane society.

“Pesutto believes that public service is a sacred duty and honour that must be approached with humility, dignity, and responsibility.”

Senior Liberal Party figures had hoped the matter would be privately settled, while sources close to Mr Pesutto had remained confident the matter would never get to court.

However, Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto were unable to successfully mediate the matter.

Failure to do so has caused angst among senior Liberals who say the case has taken too much of Mr Pesutto’s attention as he tries to lead the party.

He now faces the prospect of a lengthy court battle including a minimum five day trial, according to sources familiar with the case.

It could see senior Liberal Party MPs forced to testify.