Outspoken Liberal MP rolled in preselection race
An outspoken state Liberal MP has been stripped of his seat in the party’s upper house in a vote likely to spark fresh civil unrest.
Moira Deeming lost the preselection contest for the top spot on the Liberals’ Western Metropolitan ticket at the party’s Melbourne headquarters on Sunday.
He and fellow upper house member Trung Luu were defeated by businessman and Indian community leader Dinesh Gourisetty, who had support from the party’s moderate wing.
The party’s state leadership will need to approve the vote.
Ms. Deeming, wearing a liberal blue jacket, left the meeting without answering reporters’ questions.
He did not raise his hand for second position on the ticket.
Ms Deeming has received preselection endorsements from former prime minister Tony Abbott, Sky News commentator Peta Credlin and Opposition Leader Jess Wilson.
Ms. Wilson did not apologize for supporting her and other incumbent candidates in the primary against challengers.
“I support my team,” he told reporters before the meeting.
Two Liberals were elected in the upper house constituency in 2022.
Support for One Nation has grown nationally, with the right-wing party taking almost 23 per cent of first preference votes in the South Australian state election.
Ms Wilson was unsure whether the outcome would result in Ms Deeming seeking refuge in One Nation.
Ms Deeming has been making headlines since being pre-selected by the party in 2022.
The former high school teacher was suspended after attending the 2023 Let Women Speak rally, which was raided by neo-Nazis.
He was later expelled from the Liberal party room after threatening legal action against then-leader John Pesutto, who defamed him by implying he was associated with neo-Nazis and was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs.
Ms Deeming was readmitted to the parliamentary party in December 2024 and appointed as former leader Brad Battin’s western suburbs representative.
Ms. Deeming offered to delay part of Mr. Pesutto’s bill in exchange for conditions, including a primary, but the offer was rejected.
The provincial Liberals’ executive committee agreed to lend Mr. Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to Ms. Deeming and avoid bankruptcy.
The loan has sparked an ongoing legal challenge from a group of separatist Liberals.
In another preselection battle, Liberal upper house leader Bev McArthur survived a challenge from former Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan on Saturday to take the top spot on the Liberals’ Western Victoria ticket.
Former Burwood MP Graham Watt came in second place.
It comes after shadow cabinet member Renee Heath retained top spot in Eastern Victoria and Ann-Marie Hermans fell to second place in the South-East Metro behind former electoral officer Phillip Pease.
As Victorians head to the polls in November, the coalition is racing to end 12 years of Labor rule.
