Pesutto accused of making ‘political move’ to expel Deeming

John Pesutto has been accused of making a “political move” to “take out” Moira Deeming from the Liberal Party by using a rally she organised — which was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis — as an excuse to get rid of her.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto has been accused of making a “political move” to “take out” MP Moira Deeming from his Liberal Party when she was expelled over allegations of having neo-Nazi sympathies.

On his third day being grilled in the Federal Court witness box, where he’s being sued for defamation, Mr Pesutto denied a rally organised by Mrs Deeming that was gatecrashed by saluting Nazis was used as an excuse to get rid of her.

“This entire exercise had nothing to do with damage to the reputation of the Liberal Party, did it?” barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC, for Mrs Deeming, asked Mr Pesutto.

“It was a political move by you to take out of your parliamentary partyroom a woman who you considered was conservative ... who did not advocate on issues that were consistent with the political message that you wished to pursue?”

“That’s not correct, Your Honour,” Mr Pesutto replied.

“In doing so, you committed a very direct breach of the Liberal Party constitution,” Ms Chrysanthou said.

“That’s incorrect, Your Honour.”

Opposition Leader John Pesutto with his wife Betty outside the Federal Court in Melbourne. Picture: Aaron Francis

Mr Pesutto said that during a meeting of the party leadership that Mrs Deeming was hauled to a day after the rally, he wanted her to tell senior Liberals she’d do whatever she needed to protect the party from being tied to the event and its organisers.

“My sense at the meeting was Mrs Deeming was not going to go to that length,” Mr Pesutto told the court of the leadership meeting, which was secretly recorded by David Southwick MP.

He said it “appeared” Mrs Deeming was “defensive and protective” of the organisers of the Let Women Speak rally, despite being presented with a dossier of concerns about their associations, and “not as protective of the party”.

Moira Deeming and her barrister Sue Chrysanthou arrive at court. Picture: Enrique Ascui

Ms Chrysanthou accused Mr Pesutto of lying and misrepresenting what happened in the crucial leadership meeting for over a year — which he rejected — with the truth only being revealed thanks to the secret recording made by Mr Southwick.

The barrister earlier slammed Mr Pesutto for “making speeches” instead of directly answering her questions “80 per cent” of the time during the cross-examination.

She warned “we’re not going to finish Mr Pesutto today” because she was struggling to get concise answers.

“I’m going to start cutting him off even though I didn’t do so yesterday ... I don’t want to be rude to Mr Pesutto ... this has gone on and on,” Ms Chrysanthou told Justice David O’Callaghan.

Senior Liberals are set to be called to the stand after Mr Pesutto.

The hearing continues.