‘Consequences’: Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming may still be expelled

Victorian Libs leader John Pesutto says Moira Deeming’s future is in ‘her own hands’ after she denied his assurance that she condemned activist Kellie-Jay Keen.

Moira Deeming told the Liberal partyroom: ‘My life has been marred repeatedly by rape – at the hands of men – from the age of four.’ Picture: Luis Ascui

Victorian Liberal Party leader John Pesutto has suggested suspended Liberal MP Moira Deeming could still be expelled from the party, after Ms Deeming denied his claim that she had condemned controversial British activist Kellie-Jay Keen.

Announcing on Monday that Ms Deeming would be suspended from the party for nine months rather than being sacked, Mr Pesutto said she had reassured the party room of her condemnation of the anti-trans activist.

However, just hours later, Ms Deeming issued several tweets denying that she condemned Ms Keen and other activists.

“I never said those things anywhere,” Ms Deeming tweeted, going on to reassure activist Angi Jones: “Don’t worry, I never condemned you, or KD or KJ (Kellie-Jay Keen).”

I never said those things anywhere.

— Moira Deeming MP (@MoiraDeemingMP) March 27, 2023

Don’t worry, I never condemned you, or KD or KJ.

— Moira Deeming MP (@MoiraDeemingMP) March 27, 2023

On Tuesday morning, Mr Pessuto told ABC News Breakfast: “If there are tweets going out that in any way contradict the assurances, the representations that Moira has provided to the party room, that would obviously be a serious matter for the partyroom but Moira has nine months to prove herself and it’s up to her.”

Mr Pesutto also told ABC’s 7.30 program on Monday evening: “I can say categorically that if the party room, when it does reconsider this matter ... if it sees evidence that there is a difference between what we were assured in written and oral presentations ... and what is being posted on social media, then, there will be consequences.”

He told the ABC: “Yesterday morning Moira provided to all members of the party room a written statement and in that statement she said several times that she unreservedly condemned the social media posts and other material referred to in the dossier I circulated last week.

“That’s the first thing, the second thing I’d say is the partyroom unanimously supported the amended proposal I put to the room after hearing Moira’s personal account.

“So what I would say is Moira made representations, both orally and in writing, to the party room, now the result of the suspension is that Moira is out of the partyroom.”

Sexual abuse through childhood

Ms Deeming had escaped partyroom expulsion after telling colleagues her advocacy on women’s rights and transgender reforms was partly because she had suffered sexual abuse as a child.

Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto failed in his bid to expel the MP over her attendance at a rally protesting against Premier Daniel Andrews’s gender identity reforms, which was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis.

Mr Pesutto compromised and only suspended Ms Deeming from the Liberal partyroom after an MPs’ revolt, triggered at least in part by the upper house conservative’s emotional appeal to colleagues. Liberal MPs said the meeting was “highly emotional” and “full of tears” when Ms Deeming recounted her past.

A copy of the speech was provided to Sky News host Peta Credlin, where she reported Ms Deeming’s words about a series of sexual assaults she had suffered since she was four years old.

“I note that many of you are confused and annoyed with me for persisting in talking about women’s rights, intersex rights, gay rights, parents’ rights and safeguards for women and children,” Ms Deeming reportedly told the partyroom.

“I assure you the reasons are completely and utterly based on love and compassion, not any sort of bigotry – and not even on religion or conservative politics.

“When I speak on these issues, I speak from personal experience. My life has been marred repeatedly by rape – at the hands of men – from the age of four.

“I have been assaulted in public facilities, I was sexually harassed and assaulted by a teacher who later went to jail for having sex with minors. I am driven by a desire to make sure other children and women don’t suffer like I did.”

The upper house MP also reportedly said a Jewish uncle who helped to raise her survived the Holocaust, and this made the allegations she had neo-Nazi links “deeply and personally offensive and hurtful”.

“These allegations against me of Nazism and hatred towards the trans community are 100 per cent false, but people will believe them if you support this motion to expel me,” she said.

The extraordinary exchange contributed to Mr Pesutto failing to have her expelled, instead imposing a nine-month suspension.

Ms Deeming released a statement declaring her attendance at a rally gatecrashed by neo-Nazis may have been an error of judgment and pledged support for Mr Pesutto.

She also stated on social media on Monday night her continued support for controversial British activist Kellie-Jay Keen, who organised the rally, and declared she had not condemned another activist, Australian Angie Jones.

Don’t worry, I never condemned you, or KD or KJ.

— Moira Deeming MP (@MoiraDeemingMP) March 27, 2023

In a sharp rebuke of Mr Pesutto’s leadership, MPs said the partyroom atmosphere turned against his hardline position on Ms Deeming, although he still suspended her and removed her as Liberal whip in the upper house.

“He read the room. The room was against him,” a senior Liberal said.

Mr Pesutto emerged, his leadership bloodied, after more than two hours of deliberations to announce a compromise suspension had been engineered.

He said this had come after Ms Deeming had made early-morning concessions he had been seeking, but late on Monday Ms Deeming denied having condemned Mrs Keen and Ms Jones.

“Whilst it took a few days, Moira actually provided the condemnation I’d been seeking all along and that provided an opportunity during today’s meeting for me to propose a slightly different outcome,” Mr Pesutto said.

He said he had moved an amended motion because Ms Deeming had backed down.

“She accepts that there must be a consequence,” he said. “We want people to learn from these experiences. I’m giving her the chance.

“She knows she has got a pathway back. But she has to earn it too.”

Mrs Keen tweeted on Monday: “I hope you’re okay Moira, millions of Australians must have looked up who you are and what you stand for. You are a leader in waiting.”

Mr Pesutto, who narrowly won the leadership after last year’s state election, faces potential instability from his opponents.

But the Nationals have made clear the Coalition agreement is conditional on Mr Pesutto remaining as leader.

The infighting comes as the federal opposition faces a by-election this weekend in the outer eastern seat of Aston, which it holds with a margin of just 2.8 per cent.

The move to expel Ms Deeming attracted criticism from federal Liberals, some of whom argued she had the right to speak at a women’s rights rally in Melbourne 10 days ago.

The meeting was crashed by neo-Nazis, sparking an awkward initial absence of criticism from Ms Deeming, who was backed into the parliament by moderate Victorian Liberals.

Mr Pesutto last week released a 15-page letter he sent to Ms Deeming explaining why she should be dumped from the party, alleging she associated with people who expressed far-right views and shared a platform with an activist he claims advocated for a “white ethno state”.

Mr Pesutto said Ms Deeming shared a platform with Mrs Keen even though, he says, Mrs Keen “was known to be publicly associated with far-right extremist groups including neo-Nazi activists”.

Mrs Keen has stridently denied she was linked to neo-Nazis or the far right, and there is no suggestion Ms Deeming backs these extremist groups.

Opponents of Mr Pesutto’s leadership are now examining when or whether to challenge the inner-city MP. At the weekend, there was little appetite to move against the leader, with the focus on trying to protect Ms Deeming.