'Line in the sand': Lib leader voted for Pesutto loan

A state Liberal leader is calling for his colleagues to end a long-running civil war after the party agreed to a $1.55 million loan to save John Pesutto's political career.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto the seven-figure sum to settle legal costs owed to first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The cash is separate from campaign money and not drawn from taxpayer funds.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin was among those who voted to support the deal, with the money to be paid directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto to repay it at market-rate interest.
"We've actually put the line in the sand on that and now we really have to focus on moving forward," Mr Battin told ABC Radio Melbourne on Friday.
Mr Pesutto 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 of Hawthorn, 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.
Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
Mr Battin urged his fellow MPs to stop the infighting to present a credible alternative to the Victorian Labor government, in power for all but four years since 1999.
"I really believe now is our opportunity to ensure each and every one of my members has a think about what they've wanted to get into parliament for, and it wasn't to be in opposition," he said.
Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, appeared unprepared to follow his advice when she took to social media after the bailout news.
"They failed to protect her when she was attacked," she posted.
"They punished her for defending herself ... this is what institutional abuse looks like."
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.
The proposed deal led to a complaint to the state's corruption watchdog, but Mrs Deeming has denied claims of blackmail.
A state Liberal leader is calling for his colleagues to end a long-running civil war after the party agreed to a $1.55 million loan to save John Pesutto's political career.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto the seven-figure sum to settle legal costs owed to first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The cash is separate from campaign money and not drawn from taxpayer funds.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin was among those who voted to support the deal, with the money to be paid directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto to repay it at market-rate interest.
"We've actually put the line in the sand on that and now we really have to focus on moving forward," Mr Battin told ABC Radio Melbourne on Friday.
Mr Pesutto 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 of Hawthorn, 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.
Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
Mr Battin urged his fellow MPs to stop the infighting to present a credible alternative to the Victorian Labor government, in power for all but four years since 1999.
"I really believe now is our opportunity to ensure each and every one of my members has a think about what they've wanted to get into parliament for, and it wasn't to be in opposition," he said.
Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, appeared unprepared to follow his advice when she took to social media after the bailout news.
"They failed to protect her when she was attacked," she posted.
"They punished her for defending herself ... this is what institutional abuse looks like."
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.
The proposed deal led to a complaint to the state's corruption watchdog, but Mrs Deeming has denied claims of blackmail.
A state Liberal leader is calling for his colleagues to end a long-running civil war after the party agreed to a $1.55 million loan to save John Pesutto's political career.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto the seven-figure sum to settle legal costs owed to first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The cash is separate from campaign money and not drawn from taxpayer funds.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin was among those who voted to support the deal, with the money to be paid directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto to repay it at market-rate interest.
"We've actually put the line in the sand on that and now we really have to focus on moving forward," Mr Battin told ABC Radio Melbourne on Friday.
Mr Pesutto 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 of Hawthorn, 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.
Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
Mr Battin urged his fellow MPs to stop the infighting to present a credible alternative to the Victorian Labor government, in power for all but four years since 1999.
"I really believe now is our opportunity to ensure each and every one of my members has a think about what they've wanted to get into parliament for, and it wasn't to be in opposition," he said.
Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, appeared unprepared to follow his advice when she took to social media after the bailout news.
"They failed to protect her when she was attacked," she posted.
"They punished her for defending herself ... this is what institutional abuse looks like."
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.
The proposed deal led to a complaint to the state's corruption watchdog, but Mrs Deeming has denied claims of blackmail.
A state Liberal leader is calling for his colleagues to end a long-running civil war after the party agreed to a $1.55 million loan to save John Pesutto's political career.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto the seven-figure sum to settle legal costs owed to first-term MP Moira Deeming.
The cash is separate from campaign money and not drawn from taxpayer funds.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin was among those who voted to support the deal, with the money to be paid directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto to repay it at market-rate interest.
"We've actually put the line in the sand on that and now we really have to focus on moving forward," Mr Battin told ABC Radio Melbourne on Friday.
Mr Pesutto 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 of Hawthorn, 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.
Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
Mr Battin urged his fellow MPs to stop the infighting to present a credible alternative to the Victorian Labor government, in power for all but four years since 1999.
"I really believe now is our opportunity to ensure each and every one of my members has a think about what they've wanted to get into parliament for, and it wasn't to be in opposition," he said.
Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, appeared unprepared to follow his advice when she took to social media after the bailout news.
"They failed to protect her when she was attacked," she posted.
"They punished her for defending herself ... this is what institutional abuse looks like."
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.
The proposed deal led to a complaint to the state's corruption watchdog, but Mrs Deeming has denied claims of blackmail.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

AU Financial Review

2 hours ago

• AU Financial Review

Kennett calls for Vic Libs clear-out, questions Battin's leadership

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has questioned opposition leader Brad Battin's capacity to lead the moribund state Liberals to government and called for a wipe-out of the parliamentary team, opening a fresh battle within the division already reeling from the fallout between MPs John Pesutto and Moira Deeming. Kennett made the comments at a private event hosted by MinterEllison and MST Financial on Thursday night, just as the Victorian Liberal Party's powerful administrative committee voted to provide Pesutto with a $1.55 million loan to help him repay his legal bills to Deeming.

AU Financial Review

2 hours ago

• AU Financial Review

Allan wants a seat at Chalmers' roundtable

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has challenged federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers to make solving the productivity crisis a mission for national cabinet, starting with including the states and territories at his ideas roundtable. Allan welcomed Chalmers' pledge to overhaul Australia's tax system as part of the Albanese government's second-term productivity agenda, and called the roundtable he is organising for next month a once in a generation opportunity to drive change across the economy.

The Age

2 hours ago

• The Age

Advance drilling program aims to extend high-grade Victorian gold

Advance Metals has restarted diamond drilling at its high-grade Myrtleford gold project in the Victorian goldfields, with the company's first hole testing below a previous 47.9 grams per tonne (g/t) gold intercept. The earlier maiden drilling hole hit 7.5 metres at 47.9g/t gold. The company will now test about 20m down plunge below it, as well as northwest along strike from another hole that intercepted 11.5m at 160.4g/t gold. Advance plans to put in at least six more diamond holes at its Happy Valley prospect in the hunt for plunge and strike extensions to the existing and often spectacular high-grade gold mineralisation. The new program follows Advance's very successful inaugural drilling earlier this year, which produced a swag of impressive gold hits from four holes at Happy Valley. Results included 8.2m at 22.4g/t gold, with 3.2m at 54.7g/t gold; 2.9m at 6.7g/t gold; 7.5m at 47.9g/t gold, including 1.3m at 271.6g/t gold and 1.1m at 18.2g/t gold. The Happy Valley phase of the new program will be followed immediately by the company's maiden drilling campaign at its Sheard's Reef and Queen of the Hills prospects, which will extend its drilling across a six-kilometre portion of the Happy Valley gold-mineralised trend. The company is still waiting on the final assays from four holes put in during a previous program at its Twist Creek target. It expects to receive the results shortly. In January, Advance entered a binding agreement with Serra Energy Metals to acquire an 80 per cent joint venture interest in the Myrtleford and Beaufort gold projects.