Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto is facing mounting pressure from within his own party despite backflipping on a motion to welcome back exiled MP Moria Deeming.
The internal upheaval stems from Pesutto being found to have made defamatory comments implying Deeming was associated with Nazis.
Liberal MPs were split 14 apiece on welcoming Deeming back into the party on Friday after the Federal Court
and ordered he pay more than $315,000 in damages plus costs.
Friday's motion failed as it required more than half of the party's 30 members to pass, and two MPs were absent. Pesutto used his casting vote to break a 14-14 tie.
It led former prime minister Tony Abbott to criticise the "shameful decision" and Deeming, who remains a Liberal Party member but sits as an independent MP in the state's upper house, to say she was being treated like a "vengeful witch".
On Sunday, a day after saying the party was "moving on", Pesutto said it was clear an "absolute majority" of party MPs wanted Deeming readmitted.
"I again apologise to Mrs Deeming as we all work together to ensure the Liberal Party succeeds in winning government in November 2026," he said.
Pesutto said he would move to readmit Deeming in a meeting on 15 January.
John Pesutto (right) said he would move to readmit Deeming at a meeting in mid-January. Source: AAP / Joel Carrett
Liberal MPs call for meeting to be brought forward
However, five senior Liberal MPs — Sam Groth, Richard Riordan, James Newbury, Brad Battin and Bridget Vallence — have since signed a petition for the meeting to be held on Friday.
Four are members of Pesutto's shadow cabinet.
Groth quit his shadow cabinet post last week following Pesutto's refusal to resign after the Federal Court ruled he defamed Deeming.
While the purpose of a meeting on Friday would officially be to resolve the issue of Deeming's readmission, it's expected Pesutto will face a leadership challenge.
A Pesutto ally, speaking to the Australian Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said they expected a challenge to occur during the meeting or before the end of 2024.
Battin, a former police officer who unsuccessfully ran against then-incumbent state Opposition leader Michael O'Brien in 2021, has been touted as the frontrunner to replace Pesutto.
Why was Moira Deeming expelled from the Victorian Liberals?
Deeming was expelled from the parliamentary party after an anti-transgender rights rally she helped organise and spoke at in March 2023 was
on the steps of state parliament.
Moira Deeming was expelled from the Victorian Liberals after a controversial anti-transgender rights rally she helped organise and spoke at was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis. Source: AAP / Joel Carrett
She was initially handed a nine-month suspension in March, before
in May for "bringing discredit" to it by threatening legal action against Pesutto.
Deeming launched defamation action against Pesutto in December 2023, claiming he had defamed her by suggesting or implying she was a Nazi or Nazi sympathiser following the rally.
The trial started in October this year and on 12 December, Pesutto was found to have made defamatory statements against Deeming.
