Moira Deeming Disendorsed By Victorian Liberals In Just 13 Minutes
Image: Image courtesy Moira Deeming/ Instagram
Moira Deeming has been dumped as the Victorian Liberal Party’s candidate for November’s state election, bringing another dramatic chapter in the embattled MP’s long-running political saga to a close.
The decision follows months of renewed internal conflict centred on Moira Deeming and her refusal to apologise over allegations she made against a fellow Liberal MP.
The unanimous vote also comes as Deeming faces uncertainty over separate legal and financial proceedings that could ultimately threaten her parliamentary position.
Moira Deeming dumped after party showdown
The Victorian Liberal Party’s state executive voted unanimously on Friday night to revoke Deeming’s endorsement as the Liberal candidate for the Western Metropolitan Region, with the meeting reportedly lasting just 13 minutes.
The decision follows a dispute stemming from allegations Deeming made against fellow Liberal MP Matthew Guy after an incident at a Macedonian community event in May.
Deeming alleged Guy had placed her in a headlock during the interaction and later made a formal police complaint. After reviewing CCTV footage, Victoria Police concluded there was “no offence detected”.
While Deeming later acknowledged she had misunderstood the technical meaning of the term “headlock”, she maintained she made the allegation in good faith and declined repeated calls from Opposition Leader Jess Wilson and Guy to issue an unqualified apology.
Earlier this week, Deeming withdrew a Supreme Court injunction that had temporarily delayed the disendorsement process.
In a statement, she said, “The state executive, having all the evidence before them, can now decide whether to pursue mediation or reconvene to disendorse me.”
She added, “Having been overseas and unwell when the story broke and jet-lagged and unwell when the disendorsement meeting was called, the injunction gave me time to recover, review all the facts, learn the difference between a headlock and a collar-tie grip, and gather my thoughts.”
Following Friday night’s vote, the Liberal Party said “The Liberal Party wishes to thank Moira for her service to the Liberal Party.”
“The Liberal Party considers the matter resolved and we look forward to continuing to outline our plan to provide the fresh start Victoria needs, in the lead up to the November election.”
The vote removes Deeming as the Liberal candidate for November’s election, although she remains a Liberal MP until the election and continues to sit within the parliamentary team.
Long-running Liberal turmoil continues
The latest development follows years of internal conflict involving Deeming that has repeatedly drawn national attention.
Deeming first became a central figure in Australia’s culture wars after attending and speaking at Melbourne’s 2023 Let Women Speak rally alongside British anti-trans campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull.
The rally became internationally known after members of the National Socialist Network appeared outside Victoria’s Parliament performing Nazi salutes and displaying extremist banners.
Although Deeming consistently denied any association with the neo-Nazi group, then Opposition Leader John Pesutto publicly claimed she had associated with extremists, prompting a successful defamation action.
After the Federal Court ruled in her favour, Deeming said:
“This judgment is a public acknowledgment that there was never any justification – legal, moral or political – for what the Opposition Leader (Pesutto) did to me and to my family.”
“The organisers and attendees of the 2023 Melbourne Let Women Speak rally did nothing wrong and it is shameful that they were treated without fairness or respect by so many in public office.”
That legal victory saw Deeming awarded damages and eventually reinstated to the Liberal party room following a leadership change, despite remaining a deeply divisive figure because of her opposition to transgender inclusion and broader LGBTQIA+ rights.
In a further complication, Deeming has revealed she may face bankruptcy proceedings over approximately $1.55 million in legal costs linked to the fallout from the Pesutto defamation case. Under Victorian parliamentary rules, bankruptcy could force her removal from parliament before November’s election.
The disendorsement marks a dramatic reversal for Deeming, who only secured Liberal preselection earlier this year after a chaotic internal contest left her as the last remaining eligible candidate.
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This is a positive move by the Victorian Liberal Party. From a Liberal Party perspective, she was a troublemaker, fomenting division, rancour and discord.
She effectively brought down former leader John Pessutto, disrespected her own party and failed to show loyalty.
Many of her views are ugly and belong to a previous time. Intolerant, bigoted and prejudiced against many groups, most notably the trans community. Ideally, we should hear no more of her. I suspect though, we shall see her again, perhaps standing for One Nation.