Texts show support from top federal liberals

Federal Liberals have long said The age They were surprised by the exclusion attempts, blamed them for the loss to Aston and regarded Pesutto’s handling of Deeming as politically naive.

“I would take a huge hit for the Fed members. They have been good to me,” Deeming said in a May 5, 2023, message.

A Liberal Party source close to Dutton at the time, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal party matters, disputed that Deeming had Dutton’s support, even though he did not support Pesutto’s handling of the issue.

Dutton had said so publicly, saying the distraction had thwarted the state team’s efforts to be an effective opponent.

“This whole mess needs to be resolved as quickly as possible and mediated as quickly as possible so that the Liberal Party can get back to its core business,” he told ABC Radio National in an interview on May 5, 2023.

He went on to say that as leader of the Victorian Party, Pesutto naturally had his support.

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A trove of correspondence shows that Dutton asked Pesutto not to speak publicly about Deeming in the days leading up to the Aston by-election.

“Peter Dutton has asked me to stop giving any media attention to Moira,” Pesutto said in a text message.

Thirty pages of screenshots of text messages between Deeming and Credlin showed the Sky News presenter had coached Deeming throughout the story.

In a text message, Deeming claimed that Abbott told her he would sue her.

“It’s been libel for 6 weeks. Tony Abbott even told me he would sue if it was him,” Deeming told Credlin on May 3, 2023.

Two days later, Deeming says Abbott now told her not to. At that point, Deeming’s supporters feared legal action would be used as justification to evict her from the party room. That happened, and she was removed days later.

Credlin had previously told Deeming that the “former prime minister who is very popular with the grassroots is on your side”.

Abbott had always publicly expressed his support for Deeming. Deeming had “said and done absolutely nothing that should be unsaid and unspeakable to Liberals,” he told Credlin’s Sky News program last May.

Credlin rephrased one of Deeming’s statements for her in the party room and offered her a “friendly interview” with pre-approved questions to avoid damaging the Liberal Party’s chances in the Aston by-election.

“I’m not interested in damaging our chances at Aston because that would damage Dutton, and he’s a friend of mine,” Credlin said.

A handful of state and federal lawmakers, Abbott and party headquarters all worked to broker a solution for Deeming.

One option being considered and favored by the federal Liberals is The age Last year it was reported that party elders would be appointed to oversee Deeming’s return to the party hall as part of a trial period for returning to the opposition benches.

Senator Sarah Henderson of Victoria has also written a sworn statement supporting Deeming.

However, Deeming has lost support from some sympathetic Liberals as the saga continues. It could still be a distraction during the federal election, which is due in May, as the Federal Court of Victoria’s verdict may not be delivered until next year, when the campaign gets underway.

According to Deeming, Pesutto slandered her and labeled her as a Nazi sympathizer, which Pesutto denies.

Dutton’s office was contacted for comment. Pesutto’s office declined to comment Friday while the case was before the court.

The leader of the state opposition settled a separate libel case brought against him by activists Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull and Angela Jones, who played key roles at the demonstration.

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Exchanges on social media site X between Deeming and Keen-Minshull show the British anti-transgender rights activist said Deeming was a “future Australian prime minister”.

“Use your beauty to your advantage, it will protect you on the days you feel bad and it will drive men who want to put you down crazy. And when you look like a goddess you become media friendly!”

Deeming had also raised concerns about her safety with the Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Council and with Parliament’s security, due to the threats she had received.

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, which manages security at the homes of ministers and, exceptionally, members of parliament, had also approached her to offer a police assessment.

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