‘Shame’: Moira Deeming supporters heckle Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto

John Pesutto insists he has the support of federal and state MPs, despite the angry reception from rank and file members at a state council meeting in Bendigo on Saturday.

John Pesutto said he was ‘getting a lot of love’ from colleagues when asked if he was concerned about a leadership challenge. Picture: David Crosling

The leader of Victoria’s embattled Liberal Party insists federal and state MPs are backing him to hold on to his position, despite rank and file members yelling “shame” and walking out on his speech at a weekend meeting.

John Pesutto said he was “getting a lot of love” from his colleagues when asked if he was concerned about a leadership challenge, after he was booed at a state council meeting in Bendigo on Saturday by some members angry over a stoush with now-exiled upper house MP Moira Deeming.

“I don't know what others are talking about and feeling. There’ll be people from time to time who may or may not want to share the journey,” he said.

Some delegates show their support for Moira Deeming on Saturday. Picture: David Crosling

And discussions with federal representatives have been “overwhelmingly positive”, Mr Pesutto said.

“They know that I'm trying as part of a broader team effort to reform the Liberal Party and make sure it’s inclusive,” he said.

Ms Deeming was voted out of the parliamentary party following her appearance at an anti-trans rally that was gatecrashed by neo Nazis. She is now threatening to sue Pesutto for defamation.

The comments came after a tense state council meeting on Saturday morning in which a small but noisy group of Ms Deeming’s supporters, heckled Mr Pesutto as he took to the stage.

They chanted: “shame, shame, shame” and donned Deeming masks, while about 15 people walked out, out of a crowd of a few hundred.

Protest at Victorian state Liberal Party council meeting, members shout “shame” at leader John Pesutto @australianpic.twitter.com/oISZryLhor

— Angelica Snowden (@ang3snowden) May 20, 2023

There was a clear spit in the room, with Mr Pesutto’s backers at the front – who gave him a standing ovation before he presented his address – and Ms Deeming’s at the back.

Ms Deeming’s supporters, who remained while Mr Pesutto spoke, interrupted the opposition leader a number of times throughout his address, with one declaring “rubbish” at Mr Pesutto’s statement that “I am of this party”.

Inside the room, the protest sparked strongly worded exchanges between Mr Pesutto’s supporters – who demanded Ms Deeming’s supporters leave if they were going to be “rude” and continuously interrupt him.

Another said: “sit down, dick heads”.

One woman wore a “Let Women Speak” T-shirt, in reference to the rally Ms Deeming appeared at, and held up a sign that said “Pesutto deemed a bully”.

Before the meeting, one group handed out a Herald Sun newspaper article detailing support for Ms Deeming’s decision to attend the rally hosted by British activist Kellie-Jay Keen.

After they walked out, one of Ms Deeming's supporters’, Jennifer Mcpherson, said the expelled MP was treated “appallingly”.

She said she was prepared to stay in the Liberal Party “for the moment”.

“Dan Andrews would have said ‘nothing to see here’ … and would have moved on,” she said.

After he was welcomed to the stage by newly elected Kew MP Jess Wilson, Mr Pesutto delivered his first address as leader of the opposition to the state council meeting.

He spoke about his 30-year membership with the party and declared “this party is my life”.

“I need you to understand that with 30 years of uninterrupted dedicated devotion, to everything we fought for day in day out, I would never do anything if I didn't believe it was necessary to help us win elections,” he said.

He said it was possible to win the 2026 election and urged members to be united.