Suspended Victorian MP Moira Deeming said the false accusation of being a Nazi sympathiser had brought “enormous harm” to her and her family, as the first-term MP announced defamation proceedings against Victorian Liberal Leader John Pesutto.
A few months into her first term, Ms. Deeming was expelled from the Liberal parliamentary team for speaking at the “Let Women Speak” rally in March. The protest was marred by threats of violence from trans-activists and gatecrashed by a small group of masked men who performed Nazi salutes.
In response, Mr. Pesutto led a bid to expel Ms. Deeming and ban her from the party room for nine months, also accused her of having an association with neo-Nazis and for being a “discredit on the Parliament.”
The Victorian Liberal Party leader also compiled and distributed a 15-page evidence dossier to the parliamentary team, the public, and the media.
The now-suspended Ms. Deeming is seeking a public apology from Mr. Pesutto, her reinstatement to the party, and financial restoration. She also argued that the dossier of evidence was false.
“All I have ever wanted from Mr. Pesutto was a full and official exoneration so that my children don’t have to live under this ‘Nazi bigot’ slur.”
The move comes after multiple attempts for mediation between the pair had failed. Ms. Deeming noted that she made “one last attempt” this week to mediate and met with Mr. Pesutto and Victorian Liberal Party State President Phil Davies on Saturday afternoon, but no agreement was reached.
“It is therefore with great regret as a current Liberal Party member, that I am now left with no option but to lodge my defamation case against Mr. Pesutto in court,” she noted.
“For the sake of my family, I have to bring this matter to a conclusion as it has dominated our lives for most of this year.”
Pesutto’s Statement
On Monday, Mr Pesutto released a rare statement arguing that Ms. Deeming’s suspension and subsequent expulsion “were never about her views on women’s issues.”“The issue has always been whether Mrs Deeming called out or distanced herself from neo-Nazi protesters and references when asked to do so by senior Liberals,” he said.
“I have never called Mrs Deeming a neo-Nazi or sympathiser, the issues in this matter have never concerned freedom of speech.”
“The issues in this matter have never concerned freedom of speech.”
He said he had “genuinely tried to reach a mutually acceptable outcome” along with other members in the party, adding that the party would not bankroll his legal cost, which could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Guilt By Association
Responding to Mr. Pesutto’s accusation, Ms. Deeming rejected having any knowledge of the neo-Nazi protesters, adding that they had assaulted her and another young woman.The rally also had to end early as the police were unable to deter the violent groups.
“I did not know those neo-Nazis and did not arrange for them to gatecrash our event,” she said.
“The next day, I was called into a meeting and informed by the Liberal Party leadership that if I refused to denounce the ‘Let Women Speak’ rally and its organisers as being extremists and Nazi’s/Nazi associates, they’d move a motion to expel me from the parliamentary team,” she said.
“Or, I was told, I could ‘just resign and make it easier on everyone.’ I declined.”
The accusation came despite Ms. Deeming and the organisers having publicly condemned Nazism and anti-semitism during and after the rally, the expelled Victorian MP said.
She also vowed not to use Liberal Party or taxpayer money to foot her legal bill.
Mr. Pesutto has denied he accused Ms. Deeming of being a Nazi or a Nazi sympathiser, Ms. Deeming argued he instead claimed she was “guilty by association with persons, who were themselves guilty by association with neo-Nazism.”
“The guilt by association fallacy is well known. But Mr. Pesutto’s version of guilt by association twice or thrice removed for the most extreme and serious punishment of expulsion, appears to be an excuse rather than a reason,” she said.
Other senior Liberal figures have tried to use internal party processes to resolve the matter and avoid legal action but to no avail.
Ms. Deeming had previously sent defamation concern notices to Mr. Pesutto and decided to proceed with the case after the party leader missed the deadlines to exonerate her on May 4 and June 1.
