This article was originally published by QNews. You can find the original article here.
Controversial MP Moira Deeming has been readmitted to the Victorian Liberal party room as a new leader was chosen.
In a dramatic morning, the Victorian Liberals have replaced John Pesutto with Brad Battin as leader.
Pesutto had previously led Deeming’s removal from the party after she participated in a rally by anti-transgender provocateur Kellie-Jay Keen (both pictured).
The rally was also attended by supportive neo-Nazis, who threw Nazi salutes on the steps of state parliament in sickening scenes.
She was expelled from the Liberal party room by 19 votes to 11 in May, 2023.
Last week, Deeming had won a defamation case against the then Victorian opposition leader.
The court ruled Mr Pesutto made imputations Ms Deeming associated with neo-Nazis after she attended an anti-trans rights rally that white supremacists gatecrashed. He was ordered to pay $300,000 in damages.
A subsequent motion to admit Deeming last week saw a tie of 14 votes a piece with Pesutto using his tie-break vote to keep
Following this, a special Liberal party meeting readmitted Ms Deeming by 23 votes to 4 and spilled the leadership.
Shadow Police Minister Brad Battin won the vote and is now the opposition leader of the Victorian Liberals.
Former professional tennis player and Nepean MP Sam Groth will serve as deputy leader.
Deeming’s views
Deeming has previously called for separate bathrooms for transgender people and opposes Drag Queen Story Time for children.
In her successful council campaign in 2020, Moira Deeming outlined her views in a statement to the state’s Electoral Commission.
“Resources should be spent wisely and only ever allocated based on need. Not on identity markers like religion, race or sexuality,” she said.
“I’ll never support rates being used to promote radical policies like banning Australia Day, Drag Queen Story Time for toddlers, or letting biological males who identify as female use female toilets and change rooms.”
