‘Time to reset': Coalition split one of the most ‘unfortunate weeks' in politics
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam says it's one of the most 'unfortunate' weeks in politics after the Coalition's short-lived disbandment over policy disagreements.
'It's been one of the most unfortunate weeks in politics, I can recall for a very long time,' Mr Duniam told Sky News host Danica De Giorgio.
'These things are better done behind closed doors, not out on the media with a running commentary every step of the way, which has been incredibly unhelpful.
'We've let people down, it's now time to reset and get going again.'
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Perth Now
42 minutes ago
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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.
Perth Now
42 minutes ago
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Budget billions helps cashed-up state lead debt battle
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The Advertiser
5 hours ago
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Legal bill bailout to spare ex-Liberal boss bankruptcy
A state Liberal party has come to the financial rescue of its axed leader to spare him from bankruptcy and avoid a politically dangerous by-election. 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 party will pay the money directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. In a letter to party members, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the outcome would ensure there was no by-election in Mr Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. "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. 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 trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only 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 were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." 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 can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us." A state Liberal party has come to the financial rescue of its axed leader to spare him from bankruptcy and avoid a politically dangerous by-election. 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 party will pay the money directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. In a letter to party members, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the outcome would ensure there was no by-election in Mr Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. "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. 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 trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only 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 were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." 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 can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us." A state Liberal party has come to the financial rescue of its axed leader to spare him from bankruptcy and avoid a politically dangerous by-election. 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 party will pay the money directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. In a letter to party members, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the outcome would ensure there was no by-election in Mr Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. "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. 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 trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only 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 were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." 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 can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us." A state Liberal party has come to the financial rescue of its axed leader to spare him from bankruptcy and avoid a politically dangerous by-election. 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 party will pay the money directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. In a letter to party members, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the outcome would ensure there was no by-election in Mr Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. "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. 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 trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only 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 were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." 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 can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us."
