Moira Deeming - thread 4 - where we are thrilled

[TheSandgroper]

Following from threads https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5167282-in-australia-moira-deeming-defamation-trial-now-on

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5172553-moira-deeming-defamation-trial-thread-2-from-australia

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5180037-moira-deeming-in-australia-thread-3

Where we discuss success, Victorian and Australian politics and a wide awake judiciary. https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/services/access-to-files-and-transcripts/online-files/deeming-v-pesutto

https://x.com/MoiraDeemingMP/status/1866997178880987321

That's an excellent piece, isn't it? Telling him he went above and beyond to pull out all the stops to sink himself neck deep in the mire and to sort if out himself.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-08/victorian-liberal-party-john-pesutto-moira-deeming-bankruptcy/105387842

The struggle continues

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-11/moira-deeming-preselection-john-pesutto-bankruptcy-offer/105405034

Wow. Fucks: none given. Prisoners: none taken.

Pesutto's going to regret pulling this tiger's tail for a long long time.

Oops

I was just coming in to post an article on the same topic. Deeming has offered for Pesutto to pay about $750k now (the fundraised amount he has) and pay the balance by March 2027. She has requested 5 conditions, including an apology from the party and to be automatically pre-selected to stand for her seat in the next state election. Offer has been refused.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/11/moira-deeming-john-pesutto-bankruptcy-offer-liberal-party-victoria-preselection-ntwnfb

That's awfully considerate of her,after the shit he put her through.

There’s nothing considerate about her conditions with her asking to bypass selection procedures . It’s the antithesis of the liberal party. This feels like an own goal? She must alienate more supporters and neutrals who thought she was hard done by re the allegations and fair enough she took Pesutto to court (me) - now they will be thinking she’s not a Lib, and nobody can work with her.

That's the bit I have trouble with too. The other demands are more than fair. I can understand perhaps why she's put that in, I doubt she'll get a fair crack with all that's gone on. There has to be a better way to level the playing field though.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-12/moira-deeming-john-pesutto-ibac-referral-bankruptcy-proposal/105406352

A referral to the Anti Corruption Commission now.

And The Age this morning

Deeming’s financial backer is being accused of blackmail and corruption. The backer’s offer to Pesutto is very dodgy and not okay.

https://archive.md/Lzf1P

I'm very worried about this. Up until now, Moira's had the upper hand. This latest thing smells of blackmail and corruption. This is NOT a good look for Moira! I wish she had a supporter 'sound out' the party on this for her, instead of it coming from her.

Kennett has some nerve:

Mr Kennett said the Liberal Party was still working on raising the funds to help Mr Pesutto.
"The Liberal Party should never, ever contemplate throwing one of its own under a bus”

Unless it was Deeming of course.

The Liberal Party has agreed to loan Pesutto $1.5M. He has to pay it back. He might end up paying $1M in interest by the time it’s paid back. Conditions come with the loan. From the linked article:

The loan will be facilitated by the party’s investment vehicle, Vapold, and come with several strict conditions. They include Pesutto offering his superannuation savings as collateral, securing personal guarantors and committing to ongoing fundraising efforts, with all proceeds to go towards repaying the principal of the loan.
Pesutto would also be required to commit to a long-term repayment plan, with the loan to initially carry a commercial interest rate of about 6%. His supporters believe the party may reap $1m in interest by the time the loan is repaid.

So Pesutto keeps his job, Deeming gets her money and her financial backer gets paid back.

www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/19/victoria-liberals-bail-out-john-pesutto-with-15m-loan-to-avoid-bankruptcy-ntwnfb

It sounds like the sort of loan Tony Soprano would offer

His fundraiser has opened up again.

This is incredible. Pesutto defamed Deeming. His defamation had savage, career ending potential for MD.

Instead of the party denouncing defamation, they are supporting him by paying his legal penalty for trying to destroy the career of another member of his party based on his false assertions.

Irrespective of the terms of the dig out, there must be something in their constitution (or association rules) that prevents them using their money to come to the aid of members who have acted dishonestly like this. Bailing out a defamer (isn’t that just a word for a certain type of liar)! I bet they wouldn’t be paying MD’s penalty if she had lost. I bet Pesutto, and other similar gobshites, would be sanctimoniously sermonising about people taking responsibility for their own actions.

Their moral compass looks very compromised.

So, they think the party leader’s actions should be indemnified. Ok, but it wasn’t. And because it wasn’t, they now will pony up to prevent him from the impact of his actions. It is obvious it is not to give justice to MD. Does that mean anything he does? Anything at all, even if found in a court to have been a defamer. What else, or is there no line to what a party leader could do and be bailed out? They’re doing this to save him from bankruptcy, and to prevent a by election. This should not be the conversation as he should have to resign. Dodgy f%ck being rescued and assisted by other dodgy f%cks. IMO.

JP was shown to have not acted in a reasonable way. He personally engineered things so as to misrepresent MD, and stitch her up without a fair hearing or chance to defend herself against his scurrilous, defamatory accusations. The party should be booting him out.

You usually can’t collect house insurance if you commit arson. Even if the insurance pays out to a third party, they’d hound the person who was responsible for wrongdoing for the full costs. Maybe charges. It wouldn’t be mammy and daddy giving you terms which save you from bankruptcy and not having to face the consequences..

Just came to post that guardian article (again!)

The sort of stunt that gets pulled in dodgy political shenanigans like these is that someone with authority writes off the loan as they're walking out of the door and even if this causes fury, it means that forcing repayment of the loan effectively becomes impossible.

It there a fixed date by which repayment of the full amount comes due?

So, I wonder then if it is a bail out ‘loan’ that may be quietly forgiven in time. That is even worse. They are not just condoning his behaviour, but actively supporting him even though he was found to defamed MD.

The Australian has it on its front page so they must have held the space as the decision was made at 8.40 pm. A small bit with more inside.

Neither the Herald-Sun nor the Age have it so deadline must have passed. I must check them both tomorrow and on Sunday.

As an aside, the Aus also has the WSJ article on the Skrmetti decision from the US Supreme Court regarding Tennessee which has upheld the early decision that puberty blockers are not for those going through puberty. Page 11 and right across the top of the page so an eye catching position.

What I really, really hope happens is Pesutto loses his seat at the November election later this year and all was for no gain or benefit for him in the end.

Everyone says the Victorian Liberals are a rabble but how do you reckon they would go if Kennett just suddenly wasn’t able to put his very expensive 2 cents worth in? (Trying not to wish anything bad on Kennett here).

Screensh attached.

I wish I had the faintest idea of if there is any truth to this or not, I’ve not read anything saying there is a reasonable chance of succeeding if moira went after pesuttos backers for costs. I saw Kennet this week randomly at a cafe and he sounded pretty relaxed!