Victorian Liberals claim to want women – but what sort, asks Moira Deeming

Expelled Liberal MP Moira Deeming says it needs to be made clear ‘exactly what kind of women are allowed’ in the Victorian party.

Former Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

Expelled Liberal MP Moira Deeming says it needs to be made clear “exactly what kind of women are allowed” in the party after Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto defended his decision and said they were committed to getting more women into parliament.

Mr Pesutto told morning radio on Monday the party was committed to getting more women into the Liberal Party and into parliament while defending the decision to expel Ms Deeming as “not a personal one”. “I think it needs to be made far more clear exactly what kind of women are allowed,” Ms Deeming told Sky News’ Peta Credlin when asked about the Liberal party “connecting to women”.

Ms Deeming was expelled after weeks of tension which began when she attended a Let Women Speak rally that was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis.

In her first TV appearance since her expulsion last week, Ms Deeming said she had no intention of abandoning the party even though she was now an Independent.

“I feel that it’s better having the decision made than being in this limbo I was in. It was just torture … As much as I’m very disappointed with this outcome, and all my supporters are very disappointed with this outcome, at least I can just get back to work now,” she said.

“I have no intentions of abandoning the party and this decision was made by less than 20 people from Spring St and I don’t believe that it reflects the will of the membership. And so I’m just going to carry on and do my best to be the best MP for all the people that wanted me to come here.”

She said her children were concerned they “might not have been invited places … because people really believe we’re white supremacists”.

“It’s just been absolutely awful,” she said.