UN concern at Liberal party’s treatment of Moira Deeming

The UN’s special rapporteur on violence against women and girls has weighed into the former Liberal MP’s battle with Victorian party leader John Pesutto.

Ms Deeming has given Mr Pesutto notice she intends to file a defamation suit against him. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

The UN’s special rapporteur on violence against women and girls has become involved in expelled former Liberal MP Moira Deeming’s ­battle with Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto, issuing a statement expressing concern that women and girls are being silenced on issues of sex, gender and gender identity.

Reem Alsalem references “the incitement of hatred, (including) the frequent tactic of smearing women, girls and their allies … as “Nazis” … and “extremists” and “women politicians who have been sanctioned by their own political parties with a threat of dismissal or actual dismissal” in her statement issued earlier this week.

The comments come less than a fortnight after the Victorian Liberal partyroom voted 19-11 to expel Ms Deeming from the parliamentary Liberal Party following the escalation of a dispute between her and Mr Pesutto ­dating back to his unsuccessful ­attempt to expel her in March after she attended a Let Women Speak rally that was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis.

The rally was organised by British activist Kellie-Jay Keen’s feminist group Standing for Women UK, which campaigns against what it regards as the infringement of transgender rights upon those of women and girls.

Ms Deeming has given Mr Pesutto notice she intends to file a defamation suit against him in the Federal Court on June 8, ­alleging he accused her “of being a Nazi sympathiser” in seeking to justify his first attempt to expel her.

The Australian understands Ms Alsalem made contact with Ms Deeming following the March expulsion attempt, offering to help the MP make a human rights complaint against the Liberal Party. It is understood Ms Deeming declined the offer because she was still hopeful of reaching an internal resolution with Mr Pesutto at the time.

In her statement, Ms Alsalem said she was concerned by the “shrinking space in several countries in the global north for women and feminist organisations and their allies to gather and/or express themselves peacefully in demanding respect for their needs based on their sex and/or sexual orientation.

“I am disturbed by the frequent tactic of smear campaigns against women, girls and their allies on the basis of their beliefs on non-discrimination based on sex and same-sex relations,” she said.

“Branding them as “Nazis”, “genocidaires” or “extremists” is a means of attack and intimidation with the purpose of deterring women from speaking and expressing their views. Such actions are deeply troubling, as they are intended to instil fear in them, shame them into silence, and incite violence and hatred against them. Such acts severely affect the dignified participation of women and girls in society.”

Moira Deeming and John Pesutto pose for a selfie in February this year. Picture: Facebook

Ms Alsalem intervened in ­November to express concern that then Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon’s proposals to reform gender recognition laws could allow violent males to “abuse” women and girls.

In her most recent statement, the Jordanian-born Oxford Human Rights Law Masters graduate said she had “particular concern” about “various forms of reprisals against women, including censorship, legal harassment (and) employment loss”.

“In some cases, women politicians are sanctioned by their political parties, including through the threat of dismissal or actual dismissal,” she said.

Mr Pesutto’s office declined to comment.

The UN rapporteur’s intervention comes after a Roy Morgan poll published on Tuesday found Mr Pesutto’s handling of Ms Deeming had a negative impact on his job approval as leader, with 64 per cent of voters saying Daniel Andrews would be a better premier compared with 36 per cent for the Opposition Leader.

Comments from voters, quoted in the polling report, included that Mr Pesutto’s treatment of Ms Deeming had been “disgraceful”.

“He is a bully and wants to prevent women from speaking when we want to talk about our rights,” one surveyed voter said.

Another said: “His treatment of Moira Deeming proved to everyone he’s not capable of running his own party, let alone the state of Victoria.”

However, Mr Pesutto did receive some backing from non-Liberal voters, one of whom said: “He’s doing a great job in moderating the party’s views and taking some positive stances on things that I think are important, especially around Deeming.”