Pesutto may have to say sorry to UK activist Kellie-Jay Keen and Melbourne woman Angela Jones

Opposition leader John Pesutto will face increased pressure to bring to an end his ongoing legal fight with exiled Liberal Moira Deeming after he settled two separate cases out of court.

Opposition leader John Pesutto will face increased pressure to bring to an end his ongoing legal fight with exiled Liberal Moira Deeming after he settled two separate cases out of court.

As part of the settlements Mr Pesutto issued a public apology to women’s rights activists Kellie-Jay Keen and Angela Jones on Friday, saying he “never believed” the women were neo-Nazis.

“It is also now clear from public statements made by Ms Keen and Ms Jones that they share my belief that Nazism is odious and contemptible,” he said.

Liberal Party MPs said the apology appeared to directly contradict Mr Pesutto’s reasons for launching his campaign to expel Mrs Deeming from the parliamentary wing of the party after she attended the Let Women Speak rally organised by Ms Keen and Ms Jones.

At the time he said Mrs Deeming’s association with Ms Keen was likely to bring discredit on the parliament or the Parliamentary Party because “she was known to be publicly associated with far right-wing extremist groups including neo-Nazi activists.”

British activist Kellie-Jay Keen with Moira Deeming outside state parliament. Picture: YouTube

Asked about the contradiction on Friday Mr Pesutto said it was a matter for his lawyers who he said were working to negotiate a settlement with Mrs Deeming before her lengthy defamation trial began in the Federal Court in September.

But Mrs Deeming confirmed to the Herald Sun that there had been no offer of mediation or settlement from Mr Pesutto’s lawyers for many months.

Angry Liberal Party MPs said given Friday’s public apology the party had been dragged into a damaging 14-month scandal for no reason.

“If John really believes Keen and Jones aren’t neo-Nazis, then why did he try and boot Moira in the first place,” one MP said.

Multiple sources said the rally was cited as Mrs Deeming’s “third strike” by Liberal leaders in party room meetings.

They said she had prompted concerns about her women’s rights activism after raising the issue in her maiden speech and also at a subsequent International Women’s Day Rally.

“They didn’t move on her because of the rally, that was just the third strike, they were concerned about her activism,” one party source said.

In his public apology Mr Pesutto said “access to single-sex spaces, services and sport warrant meaningful public discussion”.

He stood by that claim at a press conference on Friday but refused to comment on Mrs Deeming’s case except to say any discussions about a private settlement did not include her returning to the party.

But multiple sources said the path was legitimately open for her return in what would be a blow to Mr Pesutto’s leadership.

Mr Pesutto has been desperate to settle all three matters out of court. Picture: Ian Currie

But Mr Pesutto denied his leadership was under renewed threat, or that the ongoing legal cases had distracted from his job as Opposition Leader.

Ms Keen said she “graciously” accepted the “full and magnanimous apology.”

“It’s such an amazing step for Australian women that today, more than yesterday, they are a little safer speaking about the unthinkable things that are happening to them,” she said in a statement posted on YouTube.

“I think what this apology will do is it will give women just a morsel of comfort that actually they do have a right to speak about this quasi-religious authoritarian cult known as transgenderism.

“The fullness of the apology and the assertion that it’s right and proper that women in Australia can speak about their fears, that this quasi-religious cult actually brings, that the Liberal Party and John Pesutto himself recognise the need to speak about violence against women and girls and so on, that’s just a magnificent step forward.”

While the confidential settlements did not involve any financial compensation, Mr Pesutto paid some of Ms Keen and Ms Jones’ legal costs.

There has been an initial 10-day estimate for Moira Deeming’s case if it proceeded alone. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

The case against Mr Pesutto relies on media releases, press conferences and interviews he gave following the Let Women Speak rally.

As part of his campaign to expel her Mr Pesutto compiled and distributed a 15-page dossier of evidence backing his case.

In it, he accused her of having Nazi links and “conducting activities in a manner likely to bring discredit on the parliament or the Parliamentary Party.”

Mrs Deeming’s lawyers argue the impact of Mr Pesutto’s public statements about Mrs Deeming “caused hateful conduct by members of the public, including vandalism of Deeming’s Electorate.