Victorian Liberal Upper House MP Moira Deeming has issued an apology to her supporters and constituents for the “huge distractions” of recent years, while vowing to continue the political fight against the Allan Labor Government as her battle to remain a Liberal candidate heads back to court.
In a video message posted to social media, Ms Deeming said she could not comment in detail on her ongoing legal dispute with the Victorian Liberal Party, but suggested the matter was being dealt with privately. She said the turmoil of the past three-and-a-half years had taken attention away from the work Victorians needed from their elected representatives.
“There have been so many huge distractions,” she said, apologising to constituents and supporters who had stood by her during repeated internal Liberal Party fights.
But the apology was not a surrender. Ms Deeming also used the message to thank her backers, reaffirm her support for Opposition Leader Jess Wilson, and declare she remained focused on defeating Labor at the November state election. The Australian reported she pledged to help “boot this corrupt Labor grubberment out”.
The comments come after Ms Deeming secured a reprieve in the Supreme Court, delaying any move by the Liberal Party to disendorse her as its candidate for the Western Metropolitan Region. A one-day trial is scheduled for July 17, with the party agreeing not to proceed with a disendorsement vote until the case is heard.
The latest crisis stems from Ms Deeming’s allegation that former opposition leader Matthew Guy physically assaulted her during a community event in May. Mr Guy denied wrongdoing, and Victoria Police later closed its investigation after finding “no offence detected”.
Mr Guy has demanded an apology, with Ms Wilson also backing his call. Ms Deeming has reportedly maintained she acted in good faith and said she misunderstood the term “headlock”, but she has resisted the apology demanded by party figures.
Ms Deeming’s court action argues the Liberal Party’s attempted disendorsement process denied her procedural fairness. Reports say she has sought to stop four Liberal figures from participating in decisions about her political future, alleging bias. The party’s position is that it is entitled to manage its own candidate endorsement process.
The matter is another damaging internal distraction for Victorian Liberals, who are trying to present themselves as a disciplined alternative government under Ms Wilson ahead of the November election. Instead, the party is again consumed by a familiar fight over Ms Deeming’s future.
Ms Deeming has already been at the centre of one of the most destructive Liberal Party disputes in recent Victorian political history. In December 2024, the Federal Court found former Liberal leader John Pesutto had defamed her and awarded her $300,000 in damages.
That case eventually contributed to Mr Pesutto’s removal as leader and Ms Deeming’s return to the Liberal party room. But the fallout has continued, including a separate dispute over the Victorian Liberal Party’s $1.55m loan to Mr Pesutto to help him avoid bankruptcy over legal costs.
For Ms Wilson, the timing could hardly be worse. She is attempting to keep the Coalition’s campaign focused on Labor’s record on crime, debt, cost of living and service delivery. Ms Deeming’s video sought to redirect attention back to that fight, but the court case ensures Liberal internal conflict will remain in the headlines at least until next week.
The Supreme Court hearing on July 17 will determine whether the party can proceed with moves to remove Ms Deeming as a candidate before the state election. Until then, her political future — and the Liberal Party’s ability to contain another damaging internal feud — remains unresolved.
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