A major shake-up is unfolding in Victorian state politics, as controversial former Liberal Party MP Moira Deeming has officially cut ties with the party and will move to the crossbench as an independent, capping weeks of escalating internal strife that has shaken the Victorian Liberal Party ahead of the November state election.
Deeming, who represented the Western Metropolitan Region, announced the decision in a public social media post on Tuesday, confirming her resignation from the parliamentary Liberal caucus. In her statement, the outgoing Liberal MP emphasized that her core priority will not shift despite the change in her parliamentary status. “My focus has always been, and will continue to be, on representing the needs and concerns of everyday Australians,” she said. “I was elected to fight for freedom, fair laws, and families. To save our state from endemic corruption, crushing debt, and the rising crime crisis, Labor has got to go. I remain fully committed to seeing that through.”
Deeming’s departure comes at a moment of dramatic upheaval for Victorian politics, coming just hours after incumbent Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan revealed she would step aside ahead of an impending leadership spill within the ruling Labor Party.
The rift between Deeming and the Victorian Liberal Party leadership stretches back more than a year, rooted in a high-profile public conflict with former Liberal leader John Pesutto. The dispute erupted after a 2023 anti-trans rights rally where Pesutto publicly tied Deeming to neo-Nazi groups that attended the event. In response, Deeming launched a defamation lawsuit against Pesutto, which ultimately ended in a decisive court victory for her. The Federal Court ruled in Deeming’s favor, ordering Pesutto to cover more than $2.3 million in accrued legal costs from the case.
Tensions boiled over again just last month, when Deeming levelled a serious allegation of assault against senior Victorian Liberal MP Matthew Guy at a public community event. Guy has forcefully rejected all claims of wrongdoing, and no formal findings have been issued against him by any investigative body. Following the assault allegation, the Victorian Liberal Party’s State Executive moved quickly to disendorse Deeming as the party’s candidate for the Western Metropolitan Region in the upcoming November election.
In an official statement issued July 17, current Victorian Liberal Leader Jess Wilson confirmed the party’s decision. “The State Executive of the Victorian Liberal Party has resolved that Moira Deeming will no longer represent the party as a candidate for the Western Metropolitan Region in November,” Wilson said. “This matter is now concluded. My singular focus remains on the issues that matter to Victorians and outlining our plan to deliver a fresh start this November.”
Deeming’s exit from the parliamentary party formalizes a split that has been brewing for months, leaving the Victorian Liberals to refocus their campaign against the ruling Labor Party ahead of the fast-approaching state poll.