Victorian Liberal Party president Philip Davis says administrative committee members have ‘reneged on their solemn obligations to use their positions solely to advance the interests of the Party’

Five members of the Liberal Party’s powerful administrative committee are facing calls to resign as infighting over a drawn-out Supreme Court case heats up.

Victorian Liberal Party president Philip Davis has fired a shot back at internal opponents, calling for five members of his administrative committee to resign.

In a letter to members, obtained by the Herald Sun, Mr Davis called out an ongoing Supreme Court case that has been brought by five members of the powerful committee who have launched a legal challenge against a decision to loan John Pesutto $1.5m to pay off his debt to colleague Moira Deeming and avoid bankruptcy.

“By choosing to bring legal proceedings as plaintiffs against their fellow members of the Administrative Committee, Vapold Pty Ltd and the Party’s Trustees, the five members of the Administrative Committee have in my view reneged on their solemn obligations to use their positions solely to advance the interests of the Party,” he said.

Victorian Liberal Party president Philip Davis has called out the ongoing Supreme Court case.

“Indeed one of them has actually taken a confidential document from the Administrative Committee papers, which is breach of the Administrative Committee’s Code of Conduct which all members have signed up to, and deployed it twice in the litigation: first by annexing it to her affidavit as a non-confidential exhibit, and secondly by having it openly referred to in the statement of claim.

“The long running legal case between John Pesutto and Moira Deeming was a matter which was diverting substantial time and effort of members and Parliamentarians away from

the ability of the Party to achieve its purpose – to win government in Victoria.”

The Moira Deeming-John Pesutto stoush has diverted substantial time and effort of members and Parliamentarians, Mr Davis says.

Mr Davis is facing a challenge for presidency of the party by former president Greg Mirabella.

The Supreme Court challenge is threatening to derail the party’s 2026 election hopes unless settled during a mediation period which is due to end at the end of next month.