Latest news with #MoiraDeeming
ABC News
7 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Former Vic Opposition Leader John Pesutto avoids bankruptcy
The Liberal Party's administrative committee has agreed to save former Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto from bankruptcy as he struggles to cover the legal costs he owes colleague Moira Deeming.
Sky News AU
9 hours ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
John Pesutto receives $1.55 million bailout from Victorian Liberal Party
Liberal MP John Pesutto has received a $1.55 million boost from the Liberal Party's administrative committee to settle his legal bill with Moira Deeming and avoid bankruptcy.
ABC News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Moira Deeming speaks to journalists while on her way to a party meeting
Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming has accused her party colleagues of trying to 'annihilate' her after she sued John Pesutto for defamation.
SBS Australia
11 hours ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
Moira Deeming, John Pesutto urged to 'smell the roses' after party grants bankruptcy bailout
A $1.5 million loan has been granted to former Victorian 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 Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis. 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 Deeming's guaranteed preselection and 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 Deeming. Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. 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. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, 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. 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. Deeming said the party could "do what they like" but she would take any support of 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. Battin urged Deeming and Pesutto to "smell the roses" if either woke up on Friday morning unhappy with the outcome. Time is running out for Battin to unite the Liberals before the next state election in November 2026.
SBS Australia
19 hours ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Victorian Liberals spare John Pesutto from bankruptcy with $1.55 million loan
The Victorian 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 state party's administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term Liberal MP Moira Deeming. The party will pay the money directly to Deeming and 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 Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. Pesutto was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis. 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 Deeming's guaranteed pre-selection and Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years was rebuffed. 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 on Thursday morning. Deeming said the party can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. State Opposition leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote.
