Watching John Pesutto squirm on national TV after losing a $2.3 million defamation case to Moira Deeming was a satisfying moment of justice served.

On The Opposition Podcast, Rukshan and I sat down with David Limbrick, Libertarian MP, and we discussed the fallout from the ugly saga inside the Victorian Liberal Party.

Limbrick, who attended the same women’s rights protest as Deeming, described the whole debacle as a “massive wasted opportunity” and admitted, “I wish that it never went to that point.”

What started as a principled stand for women’s rights spiralled into a power-driven witch hunt. Deeming was publicly dragged through the mud by her own party leader for attending a protest hijacked by extremists, something beyond her control. While the media obsessed over Nazis and internal party politics, the very real issues women were raising got completely buried.

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Limbrick, a “big fan” of Deeming and her work, told us the case never should have gone to court, adding, “I don’t think there’s any winners here.” But for me, and many Victorians watching from the outside, there is something deeply vindicating about Pesutto now being hit with a $2.3 million bill for defaming a colleague who simply wanted to let women speak.

Even now, Pesutto plays the victim. On ABC, he admitted he “could have handled that situation better” but claimed he acted “in good faith.” Rubbish. In court, he admitted he acted out of fear — fear of what Dan Andrews and Labor would say. That’s not leadership. That’s cowardice.

🔴Under FIRE and in DEBT: The state of Victoria with David Limbrick https://t.co/F2O4zEZljj

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) May 20, 2025

As I said on the podcast, “She was painted as a racist Nazi kook... coming from him.” The power imbalance was staggering. Deeming had no choice but to fight back in court, and she won.

Let’s be clear: this wasn’t a fair political debate—it was character assassination. And Pesutto got exactly what he deserved.

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