Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto has declared he has no intention of resigning following the federal court ruling that he defamed former Liberal MP Moira Deeming.
This morning Justice David O’Callaghan ruled that the Liberal leader had defamed Deeming through a series of interviews, media releases and associated documents as he moved to have her expelled from the parliamentary team following her appearance at the Let Women Speak rally in March 2023.
Following the judgement Labor minister and members of Pesutto’s own party called for his resignation but the politician has said he has no intention of stepping down.
At a media conference Pesutto said he accepted the court’s judgement, but found it very disappointing. He said it would be up to his colleagues if they wished to invite Deeming back into the party room.
The leader said he never took the support of his colleagues for granted, and it would be up to them if they wanted to call for a new leader of the party.
“I’m very respectful of party processes, and I’ll follow them meticulously. If somebody wishes to bring a matter forward then there are rights that those people can avail themselves … if people wish to do that, then that is their prerogative.”
The Liberal team is not scheduled to have a party room meeting until February 2025.
