Overview
- Moira Deeming launched Supreme Court proceedings against Victorian Liberal state president Brian Loughnane and secured a court undertaking on Friday that paused a planned state executive vote to remove her.
- Lawyers for Loughnane agreed in court not to take steps to disendorse Deeming until the expedited hearing, which has been listed for one day on July 17.
- Victoria Police reviewed CCTV of the May 23 event in Sunshine and found no offence detected, a finding that prompted Matthew Guy and leader Jess Wilson to demand an unqualified apology Deeming has refused to give.
- Senior Liberals across moderate and conservative factions had coalesced around removing Deeming and any disendorsement would require the support of 75 percent of the 18-member state executive.
- Deeming’s legal move, her earlier successful defamation suit against John Pesutto, and her public refusal to apologise have deepened party divisions and leave the Liberals facing reputational and electoral risks in the lead-up to the November election.