John Pesutto peril: knives poised for Victorian Liberal leader

Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto’s hold on the top job is under threat as former tennis star Sam Groth seeks John Howard’s advice.

Victorian State Liberal leader John Pesutto. Picture: Ian Currie

Fears of another disastrous federal Liberal campaign in Victoria have sparked a push to dump state leader John Pesutto as he battles a $2m defamation action from ­expelled former colleague Moira Deeming.

Former tennis star turned MP Sam Groth, who is being mooted as a potential replacement, met former prime minister John Howard in Sydney on Friday as part of a series of meetings with party elders and high-profile community leaders, seeking advice on progressing his career.

There is dismay in the parliamentary Liberal Party about the impact of the Deeming court case but MPs are split over how to ­respond as Victoria crumbles under record debt, multibillion-dollar major project blowouts and soaring taxes.

Liberal powerbrokers said it was widely accepted Mr Pesutto would lose the leadership if the court case went against him. However, multiple sources said Mr Pesutto would fight on until the Federal Court judgment and had no plans to surrender the leadership.

His survival will hinge on whether he can successfully defend the case which was brought by Mrs Deeming after she was dumped for attending a women’s issues rally in Melbourne last year that was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis.

The fallout from the rally, her expulsion and the legal action has crippled the Victorian Liberal Party for 18 months and was blamed for reducing support for the federal Coalition in the Aston by-election last year, a claim denied by Mr Pesutto and his ­supporters.

The brouhaha has also reduced Mrs Deeming’s support in the parliamentary party, with MPs tired of their messaging being drowned out by the battle.

Mrs Deeming has strong support from many party members but if a vote among her former parliamentary peers were held today on her returning to the party-room, multiple sources said she would lose.

“There is white hot anger about how this dispute has festered,’’ one MP said.

Supporters of Peter Dutton are scrambling to keep the federal leader away from the leadership turbulence in Victoria over the court case and some state MPs have bristled at the thought of Canberra “meddling” in Victorian matters.

“Peter has no interest in being part of this,’’ a senior federal MP said. Another senior federal MP said: “They (state MPs) hate us putting the oar in.’’

Backers of Mr Groth have been canvassing senior Liberals but the 36-year-old is not guaranteed of majority party support, with any ballot likely to be contested by shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell, although he is not overtly pushing for change.

A third possible leadership option is frontbencher Brad Battin, though he would want to be drafted into the position rather than being involved in a bloody ­execution.

One option discussed to garner Mr Groth the numbers is the return of Mrs Deeming from political exile into the parliamentary party – with six to eight votes – but that decision would be up to the party room.

Ms Deeming was dumped from the parliamentary party in 2023 by a margin of 19 to 11.

Multiple sources have said her numbers have fallen to between six and eight, although this could shift depending on what triggers any vote and the outcome.

“Moira has lost ground,’’ a senior MP said. “No one is talking about her.’’

Another party elder said that Mr Pesutto should continue to be backed because there was no one better to replace him.

“We’ve done everything we can to patch this up but Deeming won’t shift,’’ a senior figure said.

It has been widely assumed that the leadership question would wait until after next month’s court hearings but The Weekend Australian has been told a pre-emptive strike has been suggested to put as much space as possible between a change of leader and the federal campaign.

Mrs Deeming’s critics question her judgment but many support her stance on the gender wars.

Discussions with about 20 state and federal MPs and party elders have revealed a deep sense of frustration with Mr Pesutto’s pursuit of Mrs Deeming.

While Mrs Deeming has polarised former colleagues who want to fight Labor, the battle has severely devalued Mr Pesutto’s political currency.

“He looks f..ked,’’ a senior state Liberal said of Mr Pesutto, who retains the backing of the three living former Liberal premiers – Jeff Kennett, Ted Baillieu and Denis Napthine.

A press release issued by Mr Pesutto on March 19 last year – the day after the “Let Women Speak” rally – formed part of Mrs Deeming’s original statement of claim.

The rally was organised to protest against what Ms Deeming and others believe is the effect of transgender laws on 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.

Mrs Deeming has stridently denied having any links with the neo-Nazis and rejected Mr Pesutto’s characterisation of her involvement with the rally. She said she had no idea the neo-Nazis were planning to attend.

The press release said he met Mrs Deeming to discuss her attendance at the rally.

“I discussed her involvement in organising, promoting and participating in a rally with speakers and other organisers who themselves have been publicly associated with far right-wing extremist groups including neo-Nazi activists,” Mr Pesutto said.

“This is not an issue about free speech but a member of the parliamentary party associating with people whose views are abhorrent to my values, the values of the Liberal Party and the wider community.”

However, Mrs Deeming’s lawyers said the press release was defamatory, had caused her deep distress and included statements that were untrue.