Moira Deeming, freedom and future of fractured Victorian Liberal Party

With more than a third of the Victorian Liberal Party room still opposed to Moira Deeming’s expulsion and a looming defamation suit, the issue is far from over for John Pesutto.

MP Moira Deeming, expelled from Victoria’s parliamentary Liberal Party on Friday, will pursue a defamation case against leader John Pesutto. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

Moira Deeming’s expulsion from the parliamentary Liberal Party in Victoria has failed to defuse the internal chaos engulfing John Pesutto, with more than a third of MPs voting against their leader and a defamation action now in the wings.

The Opposition Leader sought to depict the success, by 19 votes to 11, of his second attempt to expel Ms Deeming as a “turning point” for the Victorian Liberals, claiming it showed they were committed to being a “disciplined, united and focused team”.

But Ms Deeming is pressing ahead with her defamation action against Mr Pesutto, which is set to be filed in the Federal Court on June 8.

Critics of Mr Pesutto cited the refusal of more than a third of the partyroom to back the ­motion, the ongoing public legal battle, and the fact Ms Deeming ­remains an organisational Liberal Party member despite her ­expulsion from the parliamentary party as evidence divisions and dysfunction are likely to continue.

In her only public statements on Friday, Ms Deeming tweeted: “I’m grateful to him (a lone supporter on the steps of parliament) and my other supporters” and in a second tweet defended her actions on the day of the Let Women Speak rally that was gatecrashedby neo-Nazi supporters. “We closed our rally early & we all condemned them both on the day & afterwards.’’

Ms Deeming’s attendance at the rally triggered the party dispute.

A second motion to sack newly elected MP Renee Heath as party secretary – following a public spat regarding the minutes of the March 27 partyroom meeting at which Mr Pesutto first attempted to expel Ms Deeming – also passed 19 votes to 11.

Multiple Liberal sources have told The Weekend Australian a third motion – seeking to replace Ms Heath’s March 27 minutes with Mr Pesutto’s own version – passed with a smaller majority, with many contesting the accuracy of the leader’s minutes and several MPs abstaining from ­voting on the issue.

Mr Pesutto’s office on Friday declined to respond to questions regarding the third motion.

Much of the disagreement relates to the fact that Mr Pesutto’s version of the minutes states he and Ms Deeming had resolved to produce a statement which was “jointly agreed” but released by her alone, whereas previous minutes referred to a joint statement “from the leader’s office in conjunction with Moira”.

Victorian Opposiiton Leader John Pesutto. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Luis Enrique Ascui

The issue is expected to be ­canvassed as part of Ms Deeming’s case against Mr Pesutto, ­detailed in an 11-page concerns notice served on the Opposition Leader on the expelled MP’s behalf by defamation lawyer Patrick George on Thursday morning.

The case centres on Ms Deeming’s allegation that Mr Pesutto accused her “of being a Nazi ­sympathiser” in seeking to justify his first expulsion motion following her attendance at a Let Women Speak rally that was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis.

Ms Deeming on Friday cancelled plans to hold her own media conference following her expulsion, citing advice from Mr George that she should not make a statement until she received ­official notice of her expulsion from the Liberal Party.

Her concerns notice gave Mr Pesutto 28 days from Thursday to immediately seek the withdrawal of Friday’s expulsion motion, publish an apology to her on his website, and pay her compensation and legal costs.

Mr Pesutto said on Friday he did not intend to meet Ms Deeming’s demands, and had engaged lawyers.

“I’ll obviously instruct my lawyers to do what’s necessary in order to vigorously defend the ­action, but where it goes to from here, it will just have to take its course,” he said.

The Liberal leader claimed he was “not concerned” about the legal proceedings distracting from his attempts to hold the ­Andrews government to account.

“I will have lawyers manage that for me if it proceeds,” he said.

“My total focus will be on the Victorian people, being a good opposition and the alternative premier.”

Mr Pesutto said he was “in discussions” with the Liberal Party about whether his legal battle would be funded by the party or by him personally.

Asked whether he could have avoided a defamation suit had he handled the matter differently, Mr Pesutto said he was confident that his approach had been ­appropriate.

“I don’t want to comment on the specifics of what’s been put to me by the lawyers, but I have always acted in the interests of the Liberal Party, to protect it, to promote its brand,” the Opposition Leader said.

“Today marks a real turning point for the state parliamentary Liberal Party, which I’m very honoured to lead.

“We had a long meeting … We are as a team committed to being a disciplined, united and focused team.”

The latest motion to expel Ms Deeming cited her having “engaged in conduct in violation of (the Victorian Liberal Party constitution), bringing discredit on the parliamentary party.”

Asked to explain how Ms Deeming had brought such discredit upon the party and why she was ultimately being expelled, Mr Pesutto repeatedly ­obfuscated.

“I’m not going to go over all of the details because a lot of those were very much in the public realm over the last week and a half, so party members knew ­exactly what was before them … a lot of this was self-evident and on the public record,” the Liberal leader said.