Sky News host Peta Credlin has revealed new details about the stoush between ousted Liberal MP Moira Deeming and Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto as their high-profile legal battle begins in court.
Ms Deeming, who was expelled from the Victorian Liberal Party last year, is suing Mr Pesutto for defamation over statements that date back to a Let Women Speak rally she attended in March 2023 which was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis.
Both Ms Deeming and Mr Pesutto appeared in Melbourne’s Federal Court on Monday for the start of the defamation trial, which is being heard by Justice John O’Callaghan.
Delivering her editorial on her program on Monday night, Credlin revealed she had a meeting late last year with the former Liberal MP in an attempt to settle the dispute with Mr Pesutto.
“I had a meeting in my private home with Victorian Liberal Party State President Phil Davis and Deeming in November last year, trying as hard as I could to get the party machine to help Pesutto see sense,” Credlin said.
“All the way along, for months and months and months Pesutto appeared willing to apologise and be ready to settle this case like he had settled the others with the other women, but then for some reason, and no one knows, his apology to Deeming never came.
“That’s what she wanted. An apology first and foremost, her legal costs covered, and for Pesutto to be willing to do what was necessary to help get her re-admitted to the Liberal partyroom.
“Like others have done, I tried with the State Party President, I tried with Pesutto’s senior colleagues, even with party donors who approached me wanting help to get Pesutto to see sense.”
But on my communications Deeming, they make clear that from the outset, I urged her to try and resolve her issues with Pesutto without a lawsuit,” Credlin said.
Credlin cited one of her text messages to Ms Deeming in which she advised her against launching legal proceedings in the wake of Mr Pesutto threatening to expel her from the partyroom.
“I said that she should absolutely stand her ground. Sure, I said, send them a tough legal letter if necessary for throwing you out, but as I said to her here in this message ‘suing the party is what they will try an (sic) expel you over and that’s why you have to avoid formally launching anything,'” Credlin said.
Source: skynews.com.au
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