‘I’m feeling resolute’: Moira Deeming secures Victorian Liberal Party preselection spot

Key Concepts

• Preselection: The process by which a political party selects its candidates for an upcoming election.
• Upper House Ticket: The list of candidates a party presents for the Legislative Council (Upper House) of a state parliament.
• Character Reference: A formal statement provided to a court or authority regarding an individual's character, often used in legal proceedings.
• Treaty Legislation: Refers to the Victorian government's legislative framework regarding First Nations treaties, which critics argue creates an additional, non-elected layer of legislative oversight.
• Affirmative Action/Quotas: Policies designed to increase the representation of specific groups (e.g., women) in political office, often through mandatory gender ratios.
• Defamation: A legal claim involving the communication of a false statement that harms the reputation of an individual.

1. Liberal Party Preselection Controversy

• The Outcome: Conservative MP Moira Deeming has been endorsed for the top spot on the Liberal Party’s upper house ticket for the Western Metropolitan Region.
• The Conflict: Deeming initially lost the preselection vote to Dinesh Gore, a candidate supported by the party's moderate wing.
• The Catalyst for Change: Gore was forced to withdraw after it was revealed he had provided a character reference for a convicted child sex offender. Deeming described this revelation as "disgusting" and "demoralizing," particularly given her personal history as a survivor of child sexual abuse.
• Internal Dynamics: Deeming noted that she proceeded with the preselection process despite expecting to lose, out of loyalty to supporters who stood by her during her previous legal and political battles.

2. Party Leadership and Future Direction

• Relationship with Leadership: Deeming expressed support for current Opposition Leader Jess Wilson, suggesting that Wilson is focused on the "real job" of serving Victorians rather than engaging in public internal party conflicts.
• Past Conflicts: The interview touched upon Deeming’s expulsion under former leader John Pesutto (following a women’s rights rally gatecrashed by neo-Nazis) and her subsequent successful defamation case against him.
• External Pressure: Deeming confirmed that other political parties, including One Nation, reached out to her during the uncertainty of the preselection process. She emphasized that she did not have contempt for voters who feel alienated by the "elite political class" and are turning to parties like One Nation.

3. Legislative and Policy Critiques

• Victorian Treaty Legislation: Deeming strongly criticized the recently passed treaty legislation, labeling it "anti-democratic" and "racist." She argued that it creates an unaccountable body that acts as a barrier to the legislative process, comparing the requirement for a "treaty stamp of approval" on new laws to a feudal system where citizens must "beg" for permission to pass legislation.
• Affirmative Action and Gender Quotas: Regarding reports that the Labor Party in New South Wales may cull male MPs to meet gender representation quotas, Deeming argued that such policies are "anti-woman."
  • Key Argument: She asserted that sex, like skin color, is an immutable characteristic and should not be a metric for political candidacy.
  • Perspective: She advocated for selecting candidates based on "character" and "talent" rather than demographic attributes.

4. Notable Quotes

• On the preselection scandal: "To be brutally honest with you, I was completely disgusted and I was absolutely demoralized."
• On internal party unity: "Jess understands that all of these internal fights, if they have to be had, they cannot be played out in public."
• On the Treaty legislation: "It's a perverse reversal... It's anti-democratic and it's racist."
• On gender quotas: "Sex is like skin color. It's not a measure of your moral worth. It's absolutely absurd that we would be measuring candidates for Parliament on the basis of an attribute that they were born with."

Synthesis and Conclusion

The interview highlights a period of significant turbulence within the Victorian Liberal Party, characterized by a failed initial preselection process and a shift in leadership focus under Jess Wilson. Moira Deeming’s return to the top of the ticket signifies a consolidation of the conservative wing's influence. Her platform remains centered on anti-establishment rhetoric, a strong opposition to the current Victorian treaty framework, and a rejection of identity-based political quotas. The overarching takeaway is that the Liberal Party is attempting to pivot away from internal infighting to focus on challenging the Labor government, while simultaneously navigating the threat of losing voters to populist alternatives like One Nation.