Victoria’s Opposition Leader John Pesutto has lost a defamation case against his former Liberal colleague Moira Deeming.
Deeming was expelled from the Victorian Liberal Party after she attended a 2023 anti-trans rally.
The rally was attended by several neo-Nazis, who made Nazi salutes in the direction of LGBTQIA+ community members protesting the rally.
Following her expulsion, Deeming launched legal action against Pesutto. She has now won that case.
Background
Deeming appeared at an anti-trans rally attended by neo-Nazis in March last year.
She later said she was “horrified” neo-Nazis were at the rally, and criticised Victoria Police for letting “a bunch of masked men” attend the event.
Rally organisers Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull and Angie Jones claimed they did not invite neo-Nazis.
Expulsion
Following the rally, Deeming was suspended from the Victorian Liberal Party for nine months over her association with Keen-Minshull and Jones.
Weeks later, the state’s Liberal Party Leader John Pesutto moved to expel her. Deeming was eventually expelled from the Victorian Liberal Party in a vote by her parliamentary colleagues in May 2023.
Legal action
Following her expulsion from the Liberal Party, Deeming launched legal action against Pesutto for defamation (reputational damage).
Her lawyers claimed several of Pesutto’s media releases and interviews “have or were likely to cause serious harm to Deeming’s reputation” by implying “she supports white supremacists and Neo-Nazis.”
Deeming called for Pesutto to make a public comment, clearing her of any wrongdoing. Pesutto denied “ever” accusing Deeming “of being a Nazi or herself having Nazi sympathies.“
Result
The Federal Court today ruled that Pesutto defamed Deeming on multiple occasions.
For example, in an interview with the ABC, the court found Pesutto implied that Deeming “knowingly associates or sympathises with neo-Nazis and white supremacists, and is thus unfit to be a member of the parliamentary Liberal Party”.
Pesutto has been ordered to pay Deeming $300,000 in damages.
Response
Outside court after the ruling, Deeming said: “I am just so delighted with today’s result and I’m very grateful to the court for their prompt consideration.”
Pesutto has yet to comment.
Victoria’s Deputy Premier Ben Carroll has called for the Opposition Leader to resign, telling media “his position is untenable”.
