PETITION: Pesutto Must Go

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Goal: 5,000 signatures

Sign this petition to demand John Pesutto's resignation as Leader of the Victorian Opposition.

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John Pesutto is set for a tense party room showdown this week as a group of rebel Liberal MPs – including one shadow minister – push to have former member Moira Deeming reinstated.

The dispute comes after the Federal Court ruled that Pesutto had defamed Deeming, who was ousted from the party last May.

Five state Liberal MPs, including Bill Tilley, Richard Riordan, Renee Heath, Joe McCracken, and Chris Crewther, have called for a party room meeting to discuss Deeming’s return following the court’s ruling. They argue her expulsion was unjust and unfairly handled.

Sam Groth is not different from John Pesutto. Bring @MoiraDeemingMP back to the party and make her the leader. https://t.co/FuGZtqGHnP

— Jerkuei Marek Anyuon (@JerryAnyuon) December 14, 2024

Pesutto, who has defiantly resisted calls to resign over the scandal, is not backing down on his stance. "I do not want Moira Deeming to return to the party," he said last week. "That’s my position."

Deeming, who had threatened legal action against Pesutto before her expulsion, won her defamation case against him in court. The judge found that Pesutto’s comments, made during media appearances and in a party expulsion motion, implied Deeming was unfit to remain in the parliamentary Liberal Party, falsely linking her to "Neo Nazis".

In the aftermath of the court decision, Pesutto reiterated he would not step down as party leader. While he said the decision to reinstate Deeming would be made by the party, he would not personally support her return. "It’s a matter for the party to decide," he stated.

What an absolute mess the Victorian Liberal party is. Pesutto is found not only to have defamed Moira Deeming but in the judgement it is clear that the judge found him to be a liar. Despite that Pesutto intends to remain as leader. What a narcissistic, self serving flog. pic.twitter.com/Jn2ZjCARaY

— Ms Smudge🐜🇦🇺 (@smudge_green) December 12, 2024

Friday’s meeting will be a critical test for Pesutto’s leadership following the resignation of Liberal MP Sam Groth from the frontbench last week.

The rebel MPs argue that Deeming’s expulsion was “fundamentally flawed.” In a joint statement, they stressed the importance of fairness and integrity. "A vote for this motion would show that we take these expectations seriously," they said. "As a team, we look forward to closing this sorry chapter for good and moving on rapidly and with decency and integrity."

Deeming remains steadfast in her mission to clear her name. "I have every right to be there, I did nothing wrong," she told reporters last week. "All the accusations that were made about me, they were just disproven in court."

Meanwhile, Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas has announced his sudden resignation from politics after a decade-long tenure.

The Labor MP highlighted the need for the state government to have a "new perspective" and talked up the importance of accountability in good governance. His resignation follows the recent state budget update that outlined measures to address Victoria's skyrocketing debt.