Victorian Liberal Party preselection battle for Western Metropolitan Region upper house spot
Consensus Summary
Moira Deeming won the top spot on the Victorian Liberal Party’s upper house ticket for the Western Metropolitan Region after a chaotic preselection battle. Initially, Dinesh Gourisetty was selected for the position but was disqualified due to providing a character reference for a convicted child sex offender, triggering a re-run vote. Deeming secured the spot unopposed after other candidates withdrew, including Bobby Lakra, whose nomination was invalidated for missing paperwork, and allies of Deeming like Steve Murphy. The process faced criticism for being rushed and opaque, with sources calling it a ‘stitch up’ to limit new candidates. Deeming’s return to the party follows a 2023 expulsion over defamation claims against former leader John Pesutto, which resulted in a $2.3 million legal cost order against Pesutto. The Victorian Liberals are now preparing for the November 2024 state election, with Deeming positioned to contest the Western Metropolitan Region.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Moira Deeming secured the top spot on the Victorian Liberal Party’s upper house ticket for the Western Metropolitan Region unopposed after other candidates withdrew
- Dinesh Gourisetty was initially selected for the top spot on Sunday, November 3 but was later deemed ineligible due to providing a character reference for a friend convicted of sexually assaulting a child
- A re-run preselection was held after Gourisetty’s disqualification, with nominations opening on Tuesday, November 5 and closing at midday Thursday, November 7
- Trung Luu remains in the number two position on the ticket and withdrew from the new contest ‘in the best interest of the party’
- The Victorian Liberal Party executive resolved to hold a fresh preselection after Gourisetty’s disqualification
- Moira Deeming was automatically considered for endorsement under party rules after nominating for the initial ballot and not withdrawing
- The November 2024 state election is the upcoming election for which the preselection is being conducted
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Bobby Lakra, a real estate agent and part of Melbourne’s Indian community, was considered Deeming’s main challenger and was expected to receive support from the same bloc of delegates who backed Gourisetty
- Lakra’s nomination was ruled invalid on Thursday afternoon after it was found to be missing the required two referral letters, barring him from the contest
- A source close to Lakra accused the party executive committee of ‘intentionally knocking back’ his application despite confirmation that required information was provided
- Tim Beddoe, a former Liberal candidate for Maribyrnong, and Steve Murphy, the party’s candidate at the Werribee byelection, both nominated for the top spot but withdrew after Lakra’s exclusion
- The preselection process requires candidates to pay a $5,000 application fee, complete an 18-page questionnaire, provide a national police check, a credit report, and 10 signatures from eligible party members
- Several party members criticized the re-run preselection process as a ‘stitch up’ due to less than an hour’s notice for nominations to reopen for just 36 hours
- The process is now under review after it failed to flag Gourisetty’s character reference
- Moira Deeming was expelled from the Liberal party room in 2023 after threatening legal action against then-leader John Pesutto over defamation claims related to a neo-Nazi rally
- Pesutto was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Deeming after being found to have defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis
- Deeming was welcomed back into the parliamentary party in December 2024 and named its representative for Melbourne’s western suburbs
- Deeming offered to defer some of Pesutto’s legal bill in exchange for conditions, including her preselection, but the proposition was rebuffed
- The state Liberals’ administrative committee agreed to lend Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to Deeming and avoid bankruptcy, prompting an ongoing legal challenge from a group of breakaway Liberals
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian mentions Moira Deeming is on personal leave and has not publicly confirmed whether she will pursue preselection, while ABC does not mention her leave status or her public confirmation
- The Guardian states that Deeming was ousted from the number one spot on Sunday, November 3, but ABC does not specify the exact date of the initial vote
- The Guardian reports that Deeming and Trung Luu were not required to renominate for the re-run ballot, while ABC does not mention this detail
- The Guardian includes a quote from Deeming saying she looks forward to ‘exposing Labor’s callous betrayal of hard-working families,’ but ABC does not include this exact quote
Source Articles
Australia news live: Moira Deeming secures top spot on Victorian Liberal ticket; Chris Bowen calls for Hormuz reopening
State upper house MP runs unopposed after initially being dropped during a preselection challenge. Follow today’s news live Good morning, and happy Monday. Nick Visser here to take you through the day...
Moira Deeming to secure top spot on Victorian Liberal ticket
Reversal of fortune comes just one week after she was dumped in favour of Dinesh Gourisetty, who then withdrew his nomination Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Moira Deeming...
Moira Deeming wins Victorian Liberal preselection battle
The outspoken MP has officially won top spot on the party's upper-house ticket for the Western Metropolitan Region after other candidates withdrew....