Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming says she has withdrawn the injunction that delayed a move to disendorse her, after providing the party’s State Executive with a statement and mediation proposal.
In a statement posted online, Mrs Deeming said the legal action had achieved its purpose by giving her time to recover, review the facts and prepare her response.
“The injunction achieved exactly what it was intended to achieve,” she said.
Mrs Deeming said she had been overseas and unwell when the story broke, and was jetlagged and unwell when the disendorsement meeting was called.
She said the injunction gave her time to “recover, review all the facts, learn the difference between a headlock and a collar-tie grip, and gather my thoughts”.
“Now that I have provided the State Executive with my statement and a mediation proposal, I have withdrawn the injunction,” she said.
The move comes after Mrs Deeming made what can be described as a last-ditch attempt to convince the Liberal Party not to proceed with what she called “indefensible” plans to disendorse her, warning the move would send a chilling message to party members who use internal complaints processes.
Mrs Deeming, who sits in Victoria’s upper house for Western Metropolitan Region, is facing the possible revocation of her endorsement as the Liberal Party’s number one candidate for the region ahead of the November state election.
The dispute stems from her complaint against former Victorian Liberal leader Matthew Guy over an incident at a community event in May.
Mrs Deeming had accused Mr Guy of assault, including initially describing the interaction as a “headlock”. Victoria Police reviewed CCTV footage and said no offence had been detected. ABC reported the footage appeared to show Mr Guy placing his hand on Mrs Deeming’s back during a conversation at the crowded function.
Mr Guy has denied wrongdoing, maintained his innocence and demanded an apology. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson backed those calls for an apology, which Mrs Deeming refused to give in the terms sought by the party.
Mrs Deeming has since accepted that “headlock” was not the correct term, but has maintained she made the complaint in good faith and should not be punished for using confidential party processes.
In her latest statement, she said she had acted properly throughout the dispute.
“From beginning to end, I progressed this issue in good faith, respected the confidentiality of all involved, submitted myself to the instructions and policies of the party and obeyed the law rather than run it through the media,” she said.
In her 12-page statement to the State Executive, Mrs Deeming reportedly argued that disendorsing her would set a dangerous precedent by discouraging party members from making confidential complaints. She said the decision would go beyond her own endorsement and would test whether members could safely use party complaint systems without fear of political reprisal.
She also argued she had not bypassed party processes, saying she reported the matter internally before going to the police and had followed instructions given under party complaint procedures.
Mrs Deeming’s statement also said her police account was deliberately restrained, did not accuse Mr Guy of violence or malicious intent, and reflected what she believed had happened at the time. ABC reported that she told police the interaction was short, painful, distressing and confusing, and that she later accepted the “headlock” description was inaccurate.
She has continued to allege she was “grabbed, held and pulled with force” in a way that caused pain and distress. Mr Guy denies the allegation.
Mrs Deeming’s statement also raised concerns about how her confidential complaint became public, with Mrs Deeming denying she leaked the matter or briefed journalists. She reportedly alleged Mr Guy had provided CCTV footage and parts of her complaint to journalists while the police investigation was underway, and said she had sought legal advice about how the material reached the media. Mr Guy was contacted for comment by The Australia Today.
Mrs Deeming’s mediation proposal included a possible joint statement that would acknowledge Mr Guy’s actions were intended as a friendly gesture in a noisy environment, while also recognising that he did not realise she was experiencing pain, fear or distress. The proposal also sought to affirm that Mrs Deeming acted honestly, privately, in good faith and in line with Liberal Party processes.
Before withdrawing the injunction, Mrs Deeming’s Supreme Court action had been seeking to stop the party from moving against her endorsement and to prevent four State Executive members from voting on her candidacy because she alleged they had real or perceived bias against her.
The Liberal Party’s State Executive had earlier agreed to postpone a meeting on her endorsement after Mrs Deeming launched legal action. The executive has 18 members, and that a three-quarters majority would be required to disendorse her. The executive process concerned her candidacy, not her Liberal Party membership or her position in the parliamentary party room.
Reportedly, senior Liberal sources had indicated the party was expected to proceed with the disendorsement push and reject mediation, despite Mrs Deeming’s proposal.
Mrs Deeming said the decision was now back with the State Executive.
“The State Executive, having all the evidence before them, can now decide whether to pursue mediation or reconvene to disendorse me,” she said.
“For my part, I will continue doing my work serving Victorians and fighting Labor.”
The latest dispute adds another chapter to years of internal Liberal conflict involving Mrs Deeming.
She was previously expelled from the Victorian Liberal Party room after attending a 2023 rally that was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis. She later won a Federal Court defamation case against then Liberal leader John Pesutto, who was ordered to pay $300,000 in damages. Mr Pesutto was later replaced by Brad Battin after a partyroom spill, and Mrs Deeming was readmitted to the Liberal party room.
The State Executive’s next move will determine whether the matter proceeds to mediation or returns to a formal vote on Mrs Deeming’s endorsement.
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