Moira Deeming's tumultuous tenure as a Victorian Liberal MP has come to an abrupt end, with the party disendorsing her as a candidate in the upcoming state election. The move follows weeks of internal party wrangling and public scrutiny surrounding allegations made against fellow Liberal MP Matthew Guy, which police ultimately deemed unfounded. Despite Ms Deeming's eleventh-hour decision to withdraw a Supreme Court challenge, the party's state executive has now taken action.
The Liberal Party announced that its state executive had convened on Friday afternoon to vote on her removal, confirming the decision in a subsequent statement. The statement read: "Tonight the Liberal Party state executive decided to cancel the endorsement of Moira Deeming for the number 1 position in the Western Metropolitan region." It added, "The Liberal Party wishes to thank Moira for her service to the Liberal Party. The Liberal Party considers the matter resolved and we look forward to continuing to outline our plan to provide the fresh start Victoria needs in the lead-up to the November election."
Ms Deeming had initially launched a Supreme Court challenge against party president Brian Loughnane, seeking to prevent her disendorsement following an incident in May. However, she subsequently withdrew this challenge and submitted a 12-page mediation proposal to the state executive on Wednesday. The controversy centres on allegations made by Ms Deeming that Mr Guy had physically assaulted her in May, which CCTV footage later revealed to be unfounded.
The video evidence showed Mr Guy placing his hand on Ms Deeming's upper back as they conversed, prompting police to conclude "no offence detected" had occurred. Mr Guy vehemently denied the allegations and demanded a public apology from Ms Deeming, the premier, and the attorney-general in June. The disendorsement marks a significant moment for the Victorian Liberal Party, which now faces the challenge of unifying ahead of the November state election.