'Line in the sand': Lib leader voted for Pesutto loan

The Advertiser

20-06-2025

A state Liberal leader is calling for his colleagues to end a long-running civil war after the party agreed to a $1.55 million loan to save John Pesutto's political career.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto the seven-figure sum to settle legal costs owed to first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The cash is separate from campaign money and not drawn from taxpayer funds.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin was among those who voted to support the deal, with the money to be paid directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto to repay it at market-rate interest.
"We've actually put the line in the sand on that and now we really have to focus on moving forward," Mr Battin told ABC Radio Melbourne on Friday.
Mr Pesutto was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis.
It left him facing bankruptcy, which would have triggered his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election in his marginal seat of Hawthorn, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks.
Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had only raised about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign.
Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
Mr Battin urged his fellow MPs to stop the infighting to present a credible alternative to the Victorian Labor government, in power for all but four years since 1999.
"I really believe now is our opportunity to ensure each and every one of my members has a think about what they've wanted to get into parliament for, and it wasn't to be in opposition," he said.
Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, appeared unprepared to follow his advice when she took to social media after the bailout news.
"They failed to protect her when she was attacked," she posted.
"They punished her for defending herself ... this is what institutional abuse looks like."
An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years was rebuffed.
The proposed deal led to a complaint to the state's corruption watchdog, but Mrs Deeming has denied claims of blackmail.
A state Liberal leader is calling for his colleagues to end a long-running civil war after the party agreed to a $1.55 million loan to save John Pesutto's political career.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto the seven-figure sum to settle legal costs owed to first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The cash is separate from campaign money and not drawn from taxpayer funds.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin was among those who voted to support the deal, with the money to be paid directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto to repay it at market-rate interest.
"We've actually put the line in the sand on that and now we really have to focus on moving forward," Mr Battin told ABC Radio Melbourne on Friday.
Mr Pesutto was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis.
It left him facing bankruptcy, which would have triggered his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election in his marginal seat of Hawthorn, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks.
Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had only raised about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign.
Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
Mr Battin urged his fellow MPs to stop the infighting to present a credible alternative to the Victorian Labor government, in power for all but four years since 1999.
"I really believe now is our opportunity to ensure each and every one of my members has a think about what they've wanted to get into parliament for, and it wasn't to be in opposition," he said.
Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, appeared unprepared to follow his advice when she took to social media after the bailout news.
"They failed to protect her when she was attacked," she posted.
"They punished her for defending herself ... this is what institutional abuse looks like."
An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years was rebuffed.
The proposed deal led to a complaint to the state's corruption watchdog, but Mrs Deeming has denied claims of blackmail.
A state Liberal leader is calling for his colleagues to end a long-running civil war after the party agreed to a $1.55 million loan to save John Pesutto's political career.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto the seven-figure sum to settle legal costs owed to first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The cash is separate from campaign money and not drawn from taxpayer funds.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin was among those who voted to support the deal, with the money to be paid directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto to repay it at market-rate interest.
"We've actually put the line in the sand on that and now we really have to focus on moving forward," Mr Battin told ABC Radio Melbourne on Friday.
Mr Pesutto was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis.
It left him facing bankruptcy, which would have triggered his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election in his marginal seat of Hawthorn, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks.
Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had only raised about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign.
Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
Mr Battin urged his fellow MPs to stop the infighting to present a credible alternative to the Victorian Labor government, in power for all but four years since 1999.
"I really believe now is our opportunity to ensure each and every one of my members has a think about what they've wanted to get into parliament for, and it wasn't to be in opposition," he said.
Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, appeared unprepared to follow his advice when she took to social media after the bailout news.
"They failed to protect her when she was attacked," she posted.
"They punished her for defending herself ... this is what institutional abuse looks like."
An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years was rebuffed.
The proposed deal led to a complaint to the state's corruption watchdog, but Mrs Deeming has denied claims of blackmail.
A state Liberal leader is calling for his colleagues to end a long-running civil war after the party agreed to a $1.55 million loan to save John Pesutto's political career.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto the seven-figure sum to settle legal costs owed to first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The cash is separate from campaign money and not drawn from taxpayer funds.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin was among those who voted to support the deal, with the money to be paid directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto to repay it at market-rate interest.
"We've actually put the line in the sand on that and now we really have to focus on moving forward," Mr Battin told ABC Radio Melbourne on Friday.
Mr Pesutto was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis.
It left him facing bankruptcy, which would have triggered his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election in his marginal seat of Hawthorn, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks.
Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had only raised about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign.
Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
Mr Battin urged his fellow MPs to stop the infighting to present a credible alternative to the Victorian Labor government, in power for all but four years since 1999.
"I really believe now is our opportunity to ensure each and every one of my members has a think about what they've wanted to get into parliament for, and it wasn't to be in opposition," he said.
Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, appeared unprepared to follow his advice when she took to social media after the bailout news.
"They failed to protect her when she was attacked," she posted.
"They punished her for defending herself ... this is what institutional abuse looks like."
An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years was rebuffed.
The proposed deal led to a complaint to the state's corruption watchdog, but Mrs Deeming has denied claims of blackmail.