Bach tells court of ‘numerous’ examples of Liberal meetings being taped

Former Liberal MP Matthew Bach has said he was “never surprised” to learn that party meetings were recorded as he took the stand in the defamation battle against Opposition Leader John Pesutto.

Former shadow cabinet frontbencher Dr Matthew Bach has revealed that ex-Premier Ted Baillieu warned him years ago about secret tapes of Liberal Party meetings as he took the stand in the defamation battle against John Pesutto.

Hot off a plane from the UK where he now works as a teacher, Dr Bach told the Federal Court he was “never surprised” to learn Liberal meetings were recorded.

The ex-MP’s evidence came after he found out weeks ago that his colleague David Southwick had made a secret tape of a closed-door meeting of the leadership with ousted MP Moira Deeming about her future in March 2023.

The meeting came one day after a rally Mrs Deeming helped organise was gatecrashed by saluting neo-Nazis.

Mrs Deeming claims Mr Pesutto defamed her — which he rejects — over his public statements allegedly painting her as a neo-Nazi sympathiser as he sought to expel her from the Liberal Party.

Former Liberal Party member Matthew Bach arrives at the Federal Court. Picture: David Crosling

Dr Bach said he was “never that surprised to learn that meetings of the Liberal Party may have been taped” given a history of its gatherings being “surreptitiously” recorded.

He told the court that on his very first day in parliament in 2020, he had lunch with former Premier Ted Baillieu who “pressed upon me that in the Liberal party, many things are taped”.

Dr Bach said during his time in the partyroom there were “numerous” examples of meetings being recorded, including on one occasion when “two of my colleagues got in somewhat of a barney and that had famously been leaked”.

“I wasn’t stunned to learn that a recording had surfaced (of the meeting) but the nature of that and I was told it was recorded by Mr Southwick was very surprising.”

He denied seeing Mr Southwick record the meeting, telling the court he expected he would have been told by his colleague if he intended to tape them.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto. Picture: David Crosling

Moira Deeming claims Mr Pesutto defamed her. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Dr Bach dismissed concerns by Mrs Deeming’s barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC about “the way in which my client was treated” during the meeting on March 19, where members of the leadership quizzed her “five against one” about her involvement with the rally and its organisers.

“I would have more robust conversations with 11-year-olds most weeks than this,” the teacher said.

Asked about who was sitting where in the room during the meeting, Dr Bach offered to draw a picture.

“That’s how I recall things,” he said, handing up a drawing of the seating arrangements to Justice David O’Callaghan.

“Thank you,” Ms Chrysanthou replied.

“My pleasure!”

Dr Bach completed his full-day of evidence on Tuesday. Mr Southwick is set to take the stand on Wednesday morning, followed by Georgie Crozier MP.