Health Minister slams Liberal Party’s choice of Melton anti-abortion councillor Moira Deeming

After expelling anti-abortion MP Bernie Finn the Victorian Liberals have preselected a woman to replace him who claims abortion is a “terrible evil”.

Controversial MP Bernie Finn was voted out of the Liberal Party. Picture: David Crosling

Victoria’s health minister has slammed the Liberal Party’s decision to put forward anti-abortion crusader Moira Deeming to replace controversial MP Bernie Finn.

Mr Finn, a long time Liberal MP, was booted from the party in May for disobedience, which included a series of offensive sociail media posts.

Mr Finn is also outspoken in his opposition to abortions, having called for them to be banned in Victoria.

But his replacement for the upper house seat of the Western Metropolitan Region, Ms Deeming, who is a Melton City councillor, has also come under fire for her extreme views on abortion.

Writing in a Christian News online forum last year, Ms Deeming said abortion is a “terrible evil”.

“Each one wounds a mother and father, murders an unborn child, and ends a whole family line,” she wrote in the Daily Declaration.

“And that is not to mention the wider wounds to the losses felt by siblings, grandparents and barren families that would have given anything to have a chance to love and raise that child.

“Yet, in our culture, the abortion industry is powerfully seductive.

“It promises us with shiny human rights posters that we deserve to keep using sex selfishly and without consequence.

“It promises to keep our darkest secrets forever away from the light. It promises to put an end to our deepest tragedies and even to heal us from them.”

Controversial MP Bernie Finn after being dumped by the Liberal Party of Victoria. Picture: David Crosling

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said she was “outraged” but not surprised by the Liberal Party’s decision to put Ms Deeming forward for pre-selection.

“What we’ve seen here is a political party that made a big song and dance about kicking out Bernie Finn. And now they’ve pre selected a Bernie Finn clone,” she said.

“Here in Victoria, we believe that abortion is a healthcare service.

“We believe in a woman’s right to choose. The women of Victoria need to understand the position that our political opponents have when it comes to women’s sexual and reproductive healthcare choices.

“Our government will stand by women and stand by the choices that they make. The same cannot be said for the Liberal Party.”

The Liberal’s health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier slammed Ms Thomas’ comments on Sunday.

“Oh come on … what she should be outraged about is the parlous state of Victoria’s health system and the fact of widespread rorting and corruption overseen by the government which she is a part of,” Ms Crozier fired back.

Senior Liberal figures told the Herald Sun there is “widespread dismay” within the party following Ms Deeming’s appointment.

“It’s this type of extremism that doesn’t help us,” one party source said.

“We don’t want another Katherine Deves type candidate. We don’t need that in Victoria.

“People are furious. There’s widespread dismay.”

But opposition leader Matthew Guy defended Ms Deeming’s right to her own views.

“She’s expressed her views, as far as I can see, in a fairly respectful way and she’s entitled to have a different point of view from a lot of people,” he said.

Moira Deeming has lashed the Safe Schools program. Picture: Sarah Matray

“What, the Labor Party thinks that when someone has a different point of view, they shouldn’t be able to express them?

“If you don’t agree with the Premier, he bags you or puts a label on you, or tries to put you down or belittle you. Is that where we’ve got to?

“At the Liberal Party, we actually pride ourselves on people having different points of view and having respectful discussions. We don’t all agree on everything but we have a respectful debate.

“It appears the Premier’s view is that you agree with him, or else he bags you. That’s the Labor Party’s style, it ain’t ours.

Mr Guy said his party, if elected, would not change abortion laws in Victoria.

“We’ve never said we’re going to change laws on those issues,” he added.

While running for city council, Ms Deeming said in a statement: “Resources should be spent wisely and only ever allocated based on need, not on identity markers like religion, race or sexuality … focus on the whole community.

“I’ll never support rates being used to promote radical policies like banning Australia Day, Drag Queen Story Times for toddlers, or letting biological males who identify as female use female toilets and change rooms.”

Ms Deeming is a teacher and has been particularly outspoken about Victoria’s Safe School program, telling the Herald Sun in 2016 she was shocked by the content of the program and would rather be fired from her job than teach such “sleazy, unnecessary drivel”.