The Liberal party in Victoria has reportedly rejected a offer from conservative MP Moira Deeming that might have saved former leader John Pesutto from bankruptcy, and the party from having to fight a by-election for his inner-city seat.
The Australian has reported that Deeming had offered to hold off bankruptcy proceedings against Pesutto until March 2027, giving him more time to raise the millions of dollars he’s be ordered to pay to cover her legal fees from a successful defamation action.
Its been suggested that Deemings demands including she be endorsed in the top spot for the Western Metropolitan area for the next state election, and the party provide in writing an apology for the imputations against her reputation, and that all “false and defamatory slurs” directed towards her are “rejected” by the party.
It is understood that the party rejected the offer.
Earlier this year the court found that Pesutto had defamed Deeming in a series of media interviews and press conferences that followed her appearance at the 2023 Let Women Speak rally outside the Victorian Parliament.
Pesutto was also ordered to pay damages of $300,000, as well as Deemings legal costs that came to $2.3 million and he’ll also have his own legal bills expected to be of a similar amount to those put forward by Deeming’s team.
The 2023 rally was organised by British provocateur Kellie-Jay Keen and toured around Australia, drawing large protests at each stop around the nation. At the Melbourne event a group of neo-Nazi’s gatecrashed the event and stood adjacent to the Let Women Speak event, antagonising the protesters.
In the days that followed Deeming’s Liberal party colleagues banished her from the party room at Pesutto’s urging. The court later found that his comments in the lead up to that action had been defamatory.
After the court handed down its result Deeming was readmitted to the Liberal party and Pesutto stood down from his leadership position. Under new leader Brad Battin Deeming has been promoted to the special role of “representative of the western suburbs.”
Deeming has also reportedly written to the party voicing her opposition to party funds being used to save Pesutto from bankruptcy and a by-election. Many political analysts believe that the Liberals would struggle to retain the seat at a by-election.
