Check mate: Pesutto admits to defamation under brutal cross-examination

Court hears how the Victorian Liberal Leader's own statements from a 3AW interview with Neil Mitchell undermined his defence during a heated cross-examination.

  • By Rebel News
  • September 26, 2024
  • News
Check mate: Pesutto admits to defamation under brutal cross-examination
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Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto has been forced to concede during cross-examination that his statements in a 3AW interview with Neil Mitchell may have defamed Moira Deeming.

The interview, played in court, revealed that Pesutto implied Deeming was associated with Nazis, a claim that is central to the ongoing defamation case brought by the former Liberal MP.

During the interview, Pesutto suggested that Deeming’s involvement in the Let Women Speak rally in March 2023, which was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis, reflected poorly on her.

Under intense questioning by Deeming’s barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, the court was told that Pesutto’s comments on the radio had exacerbated the situation. The interview, aired in the courtroom, contradicted Pesutto’s initial defence that he had never intended to link Deeming to Nazi sympathisers.

Chrysanthou argued that the Victorian Liberal leader deliberately sought to tarnish Deeming’s reputation by associating her with far-right groups. She argued that Pesutto’s media release and subsequent interviews were misleading, omitting key details that would have cleared Deeming of any involvement with the extremist protesters.

"The purpose you were seeking to achieve was to associate my client with Nazis," Chrysanthou said. Pesutto denied the claim, stating that the omission of exculpatory details was not intentional but a result of decisions made by his media team. Despite his denials, the barrister pointed out that Pesutto had approved the final version of the media release.

Further complicating matters for Pesutto, former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett, who was named in court as having been privy to internal Liberal Party deliberations, distanced himself from the case. Kennett, who had previously spoken out in support of Pesutto and criticised those supporting Deeming, tweeted, "The court case bought by Ms Deeming against John Pesutto is sadly a waste of time for the court. Politics is from time to time a tough game." His comments were seen as an attempt to remove himself from the escalating legal drama after being linked to damaging internal party discussions.

Kennett's involvement was referenced earlier in the trial when Pesutto admitted to giving Kennett the names of Liberal MPs who supported Deeming. Those MPs were later labelled "treacherous" in a media article, leading to more internal friction within the Liberal Party.

Pesutto remarkably acknowledged that criticism from then-premier Dan Andrews had played a role in his decision to act swiftly against Deeming, a revelation that Chrysanthou suggested was motivated by self-preservation rather than party integrity.

"You did that deliberately to pressure members to vote for the expulsion," she accused, but Pesutto insisted his actions were about protecting the party's reputation.

As the case continues, Pesutto's own words are proving to be a central focus, with Chrysanthou using them to paint a picture of a leader who acted out of fear rather than principle.

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