‘My goal is simple, to ensure I am reimbursed’: Moira Deeming explains why she is pursuing John Pesutto for court costs

Liberal MP Moira Deeming has told the Herald Sun why she is insistent on pursuing legal costs from former opposition leader John Pesutto after a court found he had defamed her. Read her full statement here.

Moira Deeming. Picture: David Crosling

One of the Liberal Party’s core values is equality before the law — an enduring principle that demands accountability regardless of status, wealth, or title. No individual should be excused for breaking the law just because they are ‘important’ or ‘rich’ or ‘powerful’.

Friday marked the final day for Mr. John Pesutto to reimburse me for $2.3m in legal costs, following the Federal Court ruling that he seriously defamed and harmed me. Mr Pesutto failed to do so, and as such, bankruptcy proceedings have been initiated.

This is not a decision I take lightly, nor with any sense of triumph. My goal is simple, to ensure that I am reimbursed so that I can repay that loan as I promised I would.

The fact is that Mr. Pesutto refused to retract or apologise for his defamatory claims or to settle out of court, despite never having or securing the funding necessary to cover the costs of the case.

Moira Deeming has explained why she is pursuing costs against John Pesutto. Picture: David Crosling

As revealed after the Judgement, I had even offered early in the proceedings to accept a settlement for $99,000 without an apology. For reasons only known to himself, Mr Pesutto rejected that offer. And due to this, the court awarded me costs at the highest level, ‘indemnity costs’, from that time.

The past two years have been a harrowing journey for me, my husband and our four children. After being falsely accused of bigotry, of knowingly associating with Nazis — claims the court found to be defamatory, I faced a torrent of public and private abuse, including rape threats, stalking and personal and professional humiliation and isolation. Sadly, I was not the only innocent woman who suffered as a result of the campaign to expel me.

There is no justification — legal, moral or political — for defaming and vilifying an innocent person. Even after I was vindicated by the court, Mr Pesutto refused to make amends with me, and used his casting vote to deny my re-entry to the Party room.

To this day, Mr Pesutto and his supporters have refused to admit they expelled me without cause or show any compassion toward me, and instead have embarked on a new round of media portraying themselves as the victims. This speaks volumes about their character.

The possibility of a costly by-election in the seat of Hawthorn is not something I welcome. But retain it or lose it, the greater threat to the Liberal Party is not the pain and cost of pursuing justice, but the dishonour and shame of failing to uphold it.

Former Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto faces bankruptcy. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Through all of this, there is one person whose leadership deserves recognition. Our Liberal leader, Brad Battin has demonstrated integrity, humility and strength. When others wavered, he stood firm. He did not try to manipulate or punish me. He refused to allow factional games to dictate justice. His character and calm during this storm have shown me — and many others — that politics can still be a place of honour.

So too have the army of everyday, rank and file Liberals who have had my back and kept the party machine “honest”. This moment should never have come to pass. But since it has, let it stand as a reckoning — not just for one individual, but for a culture of political brutality that must end. No man is above the law.