'Smell the roses': $1.5m Liberal loan to end legal saga
A $1.5 million loan has been granted to former state Liberal leader John Pesutto, with the fractured party desperate to draw a line under a long-running defamation saga.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The Hawthorn MP 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, 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.
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.
In a letter to party members on late on Thursday, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the money would be paid directly to Mrs Deeming.
Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest.
Mr Davis said the deal would avert a by-election and allow the Liberals' parliamentary party to focus the issues that matter to the Victorian community.
"Settling this matter once and for all is in the interests of the party as it will see an end to the ongoing commentary that is letting Labor get away with their appalling performance," he wrote.
"Victorians needs a change of government."
Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request.
"Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us," he said.
Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023.
"I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said.
Mrs Deeming said the party could "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin attended Thursday night's meeting but would not reveal to reporters how he planned to vote.
Mr Battin urged Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto to "smell the roses" if either woke up on Friday morning unhappy with the outcome.
Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
A $1.5 million loan has been granted to former state Liberal leader John Pesutto, with the fractured party desperate to draw a line under a long-running defamation saga.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The Hawthorn MP 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, 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.
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.
In a letter to party members on late on Thursday, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the money would be paid directly to Mrs Deeming.
Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest.
Mr Davis said the deal would avert a by-election and allow the Liberals' parliamentary party to focus the issues that matter to the Victorian community.
"Settling this matter once and for all is in the interests of the party as it will see an end to the ongoing commentary that is letting Labor get away with their appalling performance," he wrote.
"Victorians needs a change of government."
Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request.
"Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us," he said.
Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023.
"I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said.
Mrs Deeming said the party could "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin attended Thursday night's meeting but would not reveal to reporters how he planned to vote.
Mr Battin urged Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto to "smell the roses" if either woke up on Friday morning unhappy with the outcome.
Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
A $1.5 million loan has been granted to former state Liberal leader John Pesutto, with the fractured party desperate to draw a line under a long-running defamation saga.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The Hawthorn MP 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, 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.
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.
In a letter to party members on late on Thursday, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the money would be paid directly to Mrs Deeming.
Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest.
Mr Davis said the deal would avert a by-election and allow the Liberals' parliamentary party to focus the issues that matter to the Victorian community.
"Settling this matter once and for all is in the interests of the party as it will see an end to the ongoing commentary that is letting Labor get away with their appalling performance," he wrote.
"Victorians needs a change of government."
Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request.
"Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us," he said.
Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023.
"I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said.
Mrs Deeming said the party could "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin attended Thursday night's meeting but would not reveal to reporters how he planned to vote.
Mr Battin urged Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto to "smell the roses" if either woke up on Friday morning unhappy with the outcome.
Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
A $1.5 million loan has been granted to former state Liberal leader John Pesutto, with the fractured party desperate to draw a line under a long-running defamation saga.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The Hawthorn MP 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, 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.
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.
In a letter to party members on late on Thursday, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the money would be paid directly to Mrs Deeming.
Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest.
Mr Davis said the deal would avert a by-election and allow the Liberals' parliamentary party to focus the issues that matter to the Victorian community.
"Settling this matter once and for all is in the interests of the party as it will see an end to the ongoing commentary that is letting Labor get away with their appalling performance," he wrote.
"Victorians needs a change of government."
Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request.
"Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us," he said.
Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023.
"I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said.
Mrs Deeming said the party could "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin attended Thursday night's meeting but would not reveal to reporters how he planned to vote.
Mr Battin urged Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto to "smell the roses" if either woke up on Friday morning unhappy with the outcome.
Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Brad Battin toppled John Pesutto as leader – then voted to save him with bailout
A financial bailout for John Pesutto was backed by the man who toppled his leadership, with the Liberal party's decision prompting Moira Deeming to liken her treatment to institutional abuse. In a statement on Friday morning, Opposition Leader Brad Battin said he had supported the party's administrative committee's decision to provide a $1.55 million loan to Pesutto to cover legal costs. The vote was made after hours of debate on Thursday night and avoids the prospect of Pesutto going bankrupt, which would force him out of parliament and trigger a byelection in Hawthorn. The MP sought the loan so that he could satisfy a costs order that came after he was found to have defamed Deeming late last year. 'This decision was not about personalities or past disputes – it was about protecting the interests of the people we serve and ensuring our party can continue its important work,' Battin said. 'The loan arrangement ensures the party avoids further financial and reputational damage, allows us to put this matter behind us, and refocuses our efforts where they belong – holding Australia's worst government to account and building a stronger, fairer future for Victoria. 'Throughout this process, I have acted in accordance with the rules, maintained my impartiality, and ensured the confidentiality, welfare and dignity of my colleagues. 'With this matter resolved, our focus is firmly on the future. United, disciplined and determined, we are focused on earning the trust of Victorians and winning government in 2026.'
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Brad Battin toppled John Pesutto as leader – then voted to save him with bailout
A financial bailout for John Pesutto was backed by the man who toppled his leadership, with the Liberal party's decision prompting Moira Deeming to liken her treatment to institutional abuse. In a statement on Friday morning, Opposition Leader Brad Battin said he had supported the party's administrative committee's decision to provide a $1.55 million loan to Pesutto to cover legal costs. The vote was made after hours of debate on Thursday night and avoids the prospect of Pesutto going bankrupt, which would force him out of parliament and trigger a byelection in Hawthorn. The MP sought the loan so that he could satisfy a costs order that came after he was found to have defamed Deeming late last year. 'This decision was not about personalities or past disputes – it was about protecting the interests of the people we serve and ensuring our party can continue its important work,' Battin said. 'The loan arrangement ensures the party avoids further financial and reputational damage, allows us to put this matter behind us, and refocuses our efforts where they belong – holding Australia's worst government to account and building a stronger, fairer future for Victoria. 'Throughout this process, I have acted in accordance with the rules, maintained my impartiality, and ensured the confidentiality, welfare and dignity of my colleagues. 'With this matter resolved, our focus is firmly on the future. United, disciplined and determined, we are focused on earning the trust of Victorians and winning government in 2026.'
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Roberts-Smith's last throw of the dice
Ben Roberts-Smith has turned to Australia's highest court in a last-ditch effort to sue Nine Newspapers over war crime allegations. Roberts-Smith claims the Federal Court bolstered its murder conclusions on the assumption that because he didn't challenge evidence, he accepted it as fact. Roberts-Smith filed an application for special leave with the High Court of Australia on Wednesday, just a month after he failed to overturn his loss to Nine Newspapers over war crimes allegations made in a series of stories. Federal Court Justice Anthony Besanko in June 2023 dismissed Roberts-Smith's multimillion-dollar lawsuit against The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Canberra Times in a landmark judgment. Justice Besanko found that Roberts-Smith was involved in the murder of four unarmed men during his deployment in Afghanistan. The findings were made on the balance of probabilities, which is less than the criminal standard of beyond reasonable doubt. His appeal to the Full Court of the Federal Court was dismissed by Justices Nye Perram, Anna Katzmann and Geoffrey Kennett in May The court found that while Justice Besanko made two errors in his judgment, they were described as 'immaterial'. Ben Roberts-Smith was found, on the balance of probabilities, to be involved in the murder of four unarmed men during his deployment in Afghanistan. NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers Credit: News Corp Australia Roberts-Smith's latest bid to overturn his defamation loss hinges on two grounds, including claims the Federal Court made an error by assuming he accepted facts because he didn't contest evidence. 'The Full Court erred by treating the appellant as affirmatively accepting facts that were not recontested, and using that assumed acceptance to bolster its murder conclusions, thus misconceiving the effect of unchallenged findings on appeal,' the special leave application stated. The other ground argued the Federal Court preferred 'delayed, contradictory and memory-impaired' eyewitness accounts over Australian Defence Force (ADF) operational records. This was in relation to Roberts-Smith's involvement in the murder of two prisoners at a compound called Whiskey 108 in 2009, the murder of a handcuffed shepherd Ali Jan at Darwan in 2012, and Roberts-Smith directing members of the Afghan partner forces to shoot a man following the discovery of a cache of weapons during an operation at Chinartu. The application argues the findings of war crimes couldn't be reached to the requisite standard under the Evidence Act as they relied on 'inconsistent and memory-impaired recollections' from more than a decade after the events and despite 'exculpatory' ADF operational records. Roberts-Smith was Australia's most decorated soldier. NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers Credit: News Corp Australia He has applied for special leave to appeal in the High Court. NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers Credit: News Corp Australia ADF records document 'lawful engagements and no executions' and would-be engagements 'consistent with the laws of armed conflict', Roberts-Smith claims. Further, the application claims the records were discounted on 'speculative or flawed grounds', including by treating them as 'no more than repetitions of the applicant's account' or rejecting them on 'asserted inconsistencies that arose only at trial and were not evident at the time of reporting' in the cases of Darwan and Chinartu. Finally, it argued that the findings were reached without the 'criminal-trial safeguards of a jury, prosecutorial disclosure and proof beyond reasonable doubt', and the Evidence Act had been misapplied in regard to the satisfaction of 'facts tantamount to criminal guilt'. Roberts-Smith continues to deny the allegations, last month releasing a statement that said: 'Sunlight is said to be the best disinfectant, and I believe one day soon the truth will prevail.'
