Deeming defamation case against Pesutto headed to court
The latest turn of events in the long-running defamation battle with Mora Deeming comes as John Pesutto faces a test of his leadership in the Warrandyte by-election on Saturday.
Moira Deeming’s lawyer says he does not believe Victoria’s Opposition Leader, John Pesutto, has been genuine in seeking to resolve his dispute with the expelled Victorian Liberal MP, and she will launch action against him in the Federal Court.
In a leaked email to Victorian Liberal Party director Stuart Smith earlier this week, Ms Deeming’s lawyer, Patrick George, said Mr Pesutto’s legal team had not been in touch since August 5.
“A mediation cannot proceed without agreement between the parties on the details of the mediation,” Mr George wrote.
“Further, Mr Pesutto does not appear to be genuine in seeking to resolve the dispute. He has refused our client’s offers in three concerns notices and did not make any offer of amends in response. Our client considers he has missed the opportunity to mediate before proceedings are commenced.
“She will proceed to file without further notice.”
Ms Deeming in July gave the obligatory 28 days’ notice of an intention to file in the Federal Court, and can do so any time after Sunday.
The prospect of a messy public court battle comes as Mr Pesutto faces a leadership test in the form of the Warrandyte by-election on Saturday. While Labor is not contesting the seat, any swing against Liberal candidate Nicole Werner is likely to put pressure on the party leader.
Retiring MP Ryan Smith held the other northeastern Melbourne seat with a 4.2 per cent two-party-preferred margin in November.
The dispute between Ms Deeming and Mr Pesutto dates back to her appearance at a “Let Women Speak” rally in March, which had been organised by British gender critical women’s right’s activist Kelly-Jay Keen’s group Standing for Women UK, to protest against what Ms Deeming and Ms Keen see as the infringement of transgender self-identification laws upon the rights of women and children.
Transgender rights activists held a counter-protest, and a third group, of masked men dressed in black, taunted the transgender protesters and performed the Nazi salute on the steps of state parliament.
Mr Pesutto initially tried to expel Ms Deeming in March, but was forced to resort to suspending her for nine months amid a lack of support from colleagues.
In seeking to make the case against Ms Deeming, Mr Pesutto circulated a 15-page dossier of social media screenshots and media reports, mostly relating to Ms Keen, accusing the MP of “organising, promoting and participating in a rally with speakers and other organisers who have been publicly associated with far right-wing extremist groups including neo-Nazi activists”.
A letter sent to Ms Deeming by Mr Pesutto’s lawyers in June indicates the Liberal leader stands by this dossier and his original expulsion motion and media statements, which will be key to his “truth” defence.
Ms Deeming has repeatedly called on Mr Pesutto to withdraw allegations she has Nazi links
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