John Pesutto is ‘cooked’, ally says as Liberal leader struggles to cool tensions over Moira Deeming debacle

A former police officer is firming as the frontrunner to replace “cooked” state Liberal leader John Pesutto after shadow cabinet ministers demanded a second special meeting.

Victorian Opposition Leader Mr Pesutto appeared on political death row at the weekend after he helped vote down a motion to end expelled MP Moira Deeming’s exile from the parliamentary party.

The Hawthorn MP cast the matter as “resolved” only to propose a January 15 gathering to return the upper house MP to the fold.

The last bid to quell tensions fell flat, with senior Liberal MPs Sam Groth, Richard Riordan, James Newbury, Brad Battin and Bridget Vallence signing a petition to meet on Friday to bring the issue to a head.

A Pesutto ally, speaking to AAP on condition of anonymity, expects a leadership challenge to occur during the meeting or before the end of 2024.

“If it doesn’t happen over Christmas/New Year, John’s safe,” the Liberal MP said.

“If it happens over Christmas/New Year, John’s cooked. I think he’s cooked.”

The battle to helm Victoria’s opposition comes less than two years before a pivotal state election at which the Labor government — increasingly on the nose with voters — will seek a rare fourth term.

“We’ll see a new leader — I have no doubt about that,” the MP said.

“But have we seen the end of disunity? I don’t believe we have.”

The man who lost narrowly to Mr Pesutto in a leader’s ballot after the 2022 election is in the box seat to replace him.

Brad Battin, a former police officer and opposition police spokesman, also ran unsuccessfully against then-incumbent Michael O’Brien in 2021.

The internal upheaval stems from Mr Pesutto being found to have made defamatory comments implying Mrs Deeming was associated with Nazis following a Melbourne rally she attended in March 2023.

She was initially handed a nine-month suspension before being booted from the parliamentary party after threatening to sue Mr Pesutto.

Mrs Deeming later triumphed in the Federal Court, which found the Liberal leader defamed her and ordered he pay $315,632 in damages plus costs.

Friday’s party room vote to end Mrs Deeming’s exile fell two votes short of the 16 required.

Mr Pesutto on Sunday said further talks had made it clear “a definite absolute majority” wanted “this issue resolved with her readmission so that we can collectively put this behind us”.

“I again apologise to Mrs Deeming as we all work together to ensure the Liberal Party succeeds in winning government in November 2026,” he said.