Deeming fires off defamation threat to Pesutto

Rebel MP Moira Deeming has fired off a defamation threat to Opposition Leader John Pesutto, less than 24 hours before Liberal MPs are due to vote on whether to expel her from the parliamentary party.

A spokesman for Pesutto confirmed a letter had been received on Thursday afternoon, telling The Age its contents foreshadowed legal proceedings.

Liberal Pride has backed party leader John Pesutto and called for MP Moira Deeming to be expelled.Credit: Jason South; Darrian Traynor

“As the matter is likely to be before the courts, he will not make any further comment,” the spokesman said.

But a Liberal source with knowledge of the letter’s contents, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, confirmed it was a defamation concerns notice. A concerns notice is the first step in making a formal defamation complaint and potentially launching defamation proceedings.

Deeming has been contacted for comment.

This masthead reported last week that Deeming intended to sue Pesutto for defamation and launch legal action challenging her nine-month suspension from the parliamentary team.

Over the weekend, the upper house MP said reports she considered suing the Liberal Party were false and that she only contemplated legal assistance “as a way of helping me negotiate to settle the conditions of my suspension”.

Asked whether Friday’s vote would still be held in light of Deeming’s letter, a spokesman for Pesutto said the meeting would “go ahead as planned”.

Deeming emailed MPs on Thursday to say she would not be attending the meeting, according to one Liberal MP speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss party matters.

Deputy Liberal leader David Southwick on Thursday declined to speculate on whether there would be an 11th hour compromise.

“It’s pretty clear where that is all heading,” he told reporters. “I’ve got no more to add.”

Both Deeming’s supporters and her critics believe Friday’s expulsion motion will pass. Should it succeed, the MP will continue to serve in parliament on the crossbench.

Earlier, the Liberal Party’s national branch for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members called on Victorian MPs to expel the Western Metropolitan MP at Friday’s highly anticipated party room meeting.

In a Wednesday night email to MPs seen by The Age, Liberal Pride president Heath Wilson, who is based in Melbourne, wrote that Deeming had “damaged our brand” and it was time for her to be kicked out of the state party room and, eventually, the party itself.

He also backed Pesutto, the rest of the Victorian leadership team and the five MPs who put their names to the second expulsion motion, which will be put to a vote on Friday morning.

“We consider that Mrs Deeming’s actions have destabilised the Victorian Liberal Party and damaged our brand, and provided a much-needed distraction for the Andrews government which should have its feet to the fire for corruption scandals and financial incompetence,” Wilson wrote in the leaked email.

“The decision to expel Mrs Deeming is a necessary step in promoting a culture of acceptance and respect for all members of our community. It is also a necessary step in bringing an end to this saga and allowing us to reset before the budget.”

Liberal MPs are set to vote on Deeming’s future for a second time after MPs James Newbury, Matthew Guy, Roma Britnell, Cindy McLeish and Wayne Farnham on Saturday moved a motion to expel her from the party room for “bringing discredit” on the parliamentary team.

The motion came after Deeming told colleagues she had advised her lawyers to prepare a legal challenge to her nine-month suspension. However, she backed down from that legal threat over the weekend.

“All I have ever wanted, since the leader’s failed attempt to have me expelled for allegedly bringing the party into disrepute, was to have my name cleared,” Deeming said in her statement.

“The past six weeks have taken a terrible toll on me personally.”

The Western Metropolitan MP was suspended from the Liberal party room in March after she attended the controversial Let Women Speak rally on the steps of state parliament. That protest was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis.

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