Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto faces mounting pressure after his leadership was thrown deep under the spotlight following a contentious recent vote to reinstate rebel MP Moira Deeming back to the Liberal Party room. This saga began with Deeming’s initial expulsion, which unfolded alongside the legal battle between her and Pesutto, culminating when the Victorian Liberal Party held what became an unexpectedly pivotal vote on the matter.
The vote, held on Friday morning, ended in a deadlock, tied at 14-14—leading Pesutto to cast his vote against Deeming’s reinstatement. Despite this, many feel the outcome is less of a victory for Pesutto, as it failed to provide any solid resolution and only fanned the flames of discord within the party.
From within the ranks of the Victorian Liberal parliamentary team, murmurs of dissent began circulating post-vote. Several MPs started urging Pesutto to step down, with voices insisting the close call had fundamentally destabilized his leadership. Some were direct, saying he had just 24 hours to resign or face being challenged. The exact fallout of this parliamentary discord remains to be seen but it’s clear the group’s unity is hanging by the thinnest thread.
On the other hand, Deeming expressed her disappointment at the vote’s outcome but retained her conviction about returning to the party. “I was elected as a Liberal and remain a proud Liberal member. I know with their continuing support, I will get the apology that's owed to me,” she stated, positioning herself as more than just an expelled member but as someone who believes deeply in the party’s values.
Pesutto, for his part, characterized the vote as final, insisting it closed the chapter on Deeming’s controversial status. He remarked, “This concludes the matter,” yet this sentiment was met with skepticism from within the party, with allies, and even adversaries, articulately dissenting.
Among the dissenters was former prime minister Tony Abbott, who took to social media to denounce the handling of the situation. “How can someone elected as a Liberal be expelled on the basis of a lie and not be readmitted once the truth is out there?” he queried, expressing concern over the underlying tensions within the party.
The party meeting on Friday briefly entertained the possibility of reinstatement under new codes of conduct, yet this did not progress to any formal consideration. With Pesutto utilizing his casting vote, the motion to reinstate Deeming was defeated, keeping the party’s internal rifts unresolved.
For the Liberal Party of Victoria, the internal friction is nothing new. The recent events had already lasted 21 months, and the situation echoes past dissensions within the party, bringing to light the corrosive effects of fractured loyalties among its members. Just as evident were the hopes of those who wanted to see unity emerge from the chaos, especially as the party readies itself for imminent byelections.
Deeming and her supporters hoped to capitalize on this divisive moment to push for some rightful rectifications within the party. Despite the opposition from Pesutto and his core allies, certain MPs and longstanding party members are advocating for change and justice, anticipating rectifying wrongs of the past.
Within this tumult was also the reported internal strategy rallying for alternative leadership. Names like Brad Battin and Jess Wilson are being floated as potential representatives who could bridge the divide between differing factions of the party. It’s indicative of the brewing competition for control as discontent continues to grow.
Pesutto recently failed to effectively transition past the fallout of his failed defamation suit against Deeming, where Justice David O’Callaghan deemed him guilty of defaming her by associatively linking her to neo-Nazi tendencies after her involvement with the Let Women Speak rally. This ruling may have compounded internal pressures against his leadership, as Deeming insists it reinforces her sought reinstatement.
Meanwhile, the immediate future looms for Pesutto as he navigates both internal party pressures and the fundamental question of aspiring governance as competition with the incumbent Allan Labor government grows closer. With looming by-elections on the horizon, politicians both inside and outside the party room are questioning the viability of Pesutto steering the party's chances for their electoral campaigns.
One key voice from the party, Shadow Minister Richard Riordan, expressed his disbelief at the drawn-out stalemate, calling it counterproductive, stating, “We are in a worse position than we were to start with.” His words reflect the sentiment of party members equally frustrated over their inability to solidify their mission amid chaos.
It can be argued the confusion inflicted by this tied vote has merely begun to scrape the surface of larger rifts festering internally. Deeming, on the other hand, is immovable as she aligns support whilst holding onto her stance about the party values she embodies—convening justice for herself and those who mirror her plight within the Liberal community.
While Pesutto plans to approach upcoming campaigns emphasizing accountability and granted unity within the party, the recent difficulties speak deeply to the tumultuous state of Victorian Liberal politics and its metamorphosing leadership.
With every twist and turn, it’s evident the saga surrounding Moira Deeming and John Pesutto is far from over, and the internal turmoil is unlikely to settle down just yet. Legislative and electoral pressures are sure to ignite more debates as each faction maneuvers during this period of apparent instability.
