Latest news with #preselection
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Moira Deeming referred to anti-corruption body over John Pesutto delayed bankruptcy offer
Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming has been referred to the state's anti-corruption investigators over her proposal to delay bankruptcy proceedings against former party leader John Pesutto in exchange for guaranteed pre-selection for next year's election. Ms Deeming is pursuing Mr Pesutto over a $2.3 million debt for legal costs after she successfully sued him for defamation over comments he made about her when an anti-trans-rights rally she attended was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis. Mr Pesutto missed the deadline for paying the costs, and Ms Deeming's lawyers began proceedings, creating a new three-week timeframe for the Hawthorn MP to find the money or be expelled from parliament under a law forbidding anyone who is bankrupt from holding a seat. On Wednesday, Ms Deeming offered to delay the proceedings if the party bypassed its rules and guaranteed her preselection for the 2026 Victorian election. Mike Soccio, who describes himself as a member of the public but had been a member of the Greens, Labor and the Reason Party in the past, has since lodged a complaint about the matter with the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC). Mr Soccio sent notification of the referral to Ms Deeming and party leader Brad Battin. He alleged Ms Deeming made financial inducements to guarantee preselection and requested IBAC conduct a thorough investigation into whether any rules or election laws were broken and whether her actions constituted "corrupt conduct by an elected parliamentarian". He said he was not a member of the Liberal Party and was not involved in the dispute in any way. "I simply followed the lead of the [National Anti-Corruption Commission] in that it allows members of the public to make complaints," he said. The ABC has contacted Ms Deeming regarding the IBAC referral. Mr Pesutto yesterday rejected Ms Deeming's offer. He instead is continuing to ask the Liberal Party for a loan. The party's administrative committee will meet on Thursday next week to discuss the request, approval of which would help it avoid a by-election in Mr Pesutto's electorate. On Wednesday night, Ms Deeming sent a letter to colleagues. "I am sad that my latest attempts to settle this matter in the best interests of all parties, including the Liberal Party — were not successful," she said. "However, my conscience is clear; I did my very best to try and turn our collective focus away from internal matters and onto the injustices continually inflicted on Victorians by the Labor Government."
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Moira Deeming offers to delay John Pesutto bankruptcy proceedings for preselection guarantee
Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming has offered to delay bankruptcy proceedings against former opposition leader John Pesutto if the party bypasses its rules and guarantees her preselection for next year's state election. Mr Pesutto tried to expel Ms Deeming, an outspoken first-term MP, over her attendance at an anti-trans-right rally in March 2023. The event, entitled Let Women Speak and categorised by supporters as a women's rights event, was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis. But Mr Pesutto's expulsion attempts backfired, and the Federal Court ultimately found he had defamed Ms Deeming on multiple occasions by conveying that she associated with neo-Nazis. Earlier this year, the court ordered Mr Pesutto pay Ms Deeming $2.3 million in legal costs, which he cannot afford. Lawyers for Ms Deeming have begun bankruptcy proceedings against the Hawthorn MP. He has less than three weeks to stump up the money or he'll be expelled from parliament. As part of his efforts to avoid bankruptcy, Mr Pesutto and his backers have approached the Liberal Party to provide a loan. While the proposal is still in development, it has growing support, with many Liberals keen to avoid a by-election in Hawthorn that would be triggered if Mr Pesutto declared bankruptcy. The fracas has derailed Opposition Leader Brad Battin's attempts to present the Coalition as an alternative government and is the latest front in a long-running internal factional fight. Ms Deeming and her supporters do not believe the party should be using members' money to assist Mr Pesutto. On Monday, Ms Deeming wrote to Mr Pesutto, Mr Battin and party officials outlining a proposal to withdraw the bankruptcy proceedings if her conditions were met, including the party guaranteeing her preselection. It's understood a challenge on her preselection has been prepared by local members and has a strong chance of succeeding. Ms Deeming asked the party to endorse by "special resolution however described in constitutional terms so that I enjoy the right to serve my community without any internal distractions, which is something denied to me to date". She also wanted Mr Pesutto to pay all the available funds he has, which she believes is $750,000, and that the remainder of his debt be deferred until March 30, 2027 to "give him sufficient time to secure the necessary funds and avoid bankruptcy". Ms Deeming also wanted the Liberal Party, through Mr Battin, to provide her and her family an "unreserved written and public apology for the way I have been treated, for the imputations against my reputations, and that all the false allegations and defamatory slurs directed towards me are rejected". Her other demands included all parties drawing a line under events and focusing on the election. "It is because of the extraordinary support that I have received from rank-and-file members that I make this offer with the intention that the funds they have raised to fight the Labor Party remain solely directed to that important objective,'' she wrote. The offer was expected to expire at 5pm on Wednesday. Liberal sources said the offer has gone down like a lead balloon, with one source labelling it "preposterous". "It hasn't sparked much interest at all,'' one senior party figure said. Others are enraged that Ms Deeming is trying to override the party's preselection processes. Mr Battin has been contacted for comment. Both Ms Deeming and Mr Pesutto declined to comment.
