Pesutto says he’s staying as rebels squabble over a replacement

More than a day after asking him to consider his position, challengers to John Pesutto still believe his leadership is untenable but can’t agree on who should be his replacement.

The opposition leader said on Saturday he would be willing to meet with exiled MP Moira Deeming to apologise for the protracted defamation saga between the two, as MPs conceded privately it was almost inevitable she would be brought back to the party room.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto and his leadership team of Georgie Crozier and David Southwick.Credit: Chris Hopkins

Speaking in St Kilda East on Saturday, Pesutto battled against the distraction of photobombing children to say he also wouldn’t be diverted by the efforts of his own colleagues to replace him as leader.

The Age has spoken to eight Liberal insiders and MPs, speaking anonymously to detail private conversations, who had differing opinions on the meetings held after a vote on whether to readmit Deeming ended in a 14-14 draw, with the opposition leader using his casting vote to keep her out of the party room.

Most agreed Pesutto had been urged over the last 48 hours to “consider his position”. Others said he had been told to resign and argued both phrases were effectively the same thing.

At the centre of the speculation has been a meeting with Pesutto and shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell, opposition finance spokeswoman Jess Wilson and shadow attorney-general Michael O’Brien.

Pesutto’s backers denied he had been asked to resign by these three MPs, all previously aligned to him, and said the conversation had been more positive than it was being portrayed.

Others said the leader had not been given an ultimatum to go, but urged to consider his future as leader, raising the prospect of triggering a party room meeting by quitting rather than forcing a leadership spill.

Liberals MPs said phone calls had been “flying thick and fast” and that the moderates grouping aligned behind Pesutto were now split down the middle in their support for him.

A new leadership ticket with Jess Wilson and Brad Battin was being proposed to unite the party’s Left and Right factions, but opinions were sharply split over who would be deputy in this scenario.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto speaks to the media.Credit: Chris Hopkins

Battin did not have the numbers to successfully bring a spill, moderate sources said, and if a motion were called to install him as leader they would vote it down regardless of whether they backed Wilson or Pesutto.

But another MP denied this and said there was no mood among Battin’s backers to fall in line behind an ally of Pesutto who had “watched on” as the Deeming drama had unfolded. They argued the issue would come to a head with or without support from Wilson’s camp.

One Liberal insider said there was still no clear leadership contender against Pesutto.

“As of today, the only person who enjoys majority support in the party room is John,” they said.

But MPs across all groupings agreed the opposition leader’s position had become untenable because it was now almost inevitable Deeming would be readmitted, a major blow for his authority.

Moderates backing Wilson were willing to cede ground on Deeming’s place in the party room while Battin’s backers would bring the exiled MP back under his leadership. Others argued Deeming would be returned if a vote were held today.

Although there has been a significant push to resolve the issue by Christmas, Pesutto’s refusal to resign and the stalemate over a replacement were major roadblocks to a change in leadership over the next week, MPs said. A January meeting was being floated to give both sides time to marshal their forces.

Pesutto on Saturday sought to move on from the drama by holding a press conference on the border of the seat of Prahran, where he is hopeful of beating the Greens in a byelection, and opening his remarks on antisemitism on the steps of Parliament House.

As his leadership team spoke, children from the playground at Hewison Reserve distracted the press conference by sneaking in front of the cameras and dancing in the background of shots.

One MP quipped that it was a “decent metaphor” for the opposition leader’s efforts to control his colleagues and stop his own distractions. Another said his parliamentary colleagues should have been helping him leaflet in the seat rather than hitting the phones.

Pesutto on Saturday denied he’d been given an ultimatum to resign and said he was determined to fight on.

Speaking about the Deeming case, Pesutto came the closest he had since his defamation loss to issuing an apology.

“I would say to the party room and to Mrs Deeming that I am sorry for the findings that have been reported on, but it’s important to move on,” Pesutto said.

Federal Court Justice David O’Callaghan last week found Pesutto defamed Deeming as a Nazi sympathiser in the days after the Let Women Speak rally she helped organise in March 2023.

“The court’s findings dealt with what was found against me,” Pesutto said. “I’m apologising for those things, and I think that’s appropriate.”

Asked if he’d be willing to apologise to Deeming in person, Pesutto said: “Of course.” Asked if he had done so, he said: “Not yet.”

Pesutto said he was focused on winning the Prahran byelection rather than calling another party room meeting.

“As leader I’m going to continue doing this job,” he said.

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