Politics
Moira Deeming set to be dumped as Liberal candidate after assault allegation
Key Points
Victorian upper house MP Moira Deeming is set to be deselected as a Liberal Party candidate for refusing to apologise to partyroom colleague Matthew Guy. Mrs Deeming had alleged Mr Guy put her in a headlock at a Macedonian community event last month but police dismissed her complaint after reviewing CCTV footage of the interaction. The Victorian state election is set to be held on November 28.
Victorian upper house MP Moira Deeming is set to be deselected as a Liberal Party candidate for refusing to apologise to partyroom colleague Matthew Guy.
Mrs Deeming had alleged Mr Guy put her in a headlock at a Macedonian community event last month but police dismissed her complaint after reviewing CCTV footage of the interaction.
What's next?
The Victorian state election is set to be held on November 28.
The Victorian Liberal Party is expected to dump controversial MP Moira Deeming as its candidate for the November election for refusing to apologise to her partyroom colleague Matthew Guy, despite conceding he did not put her in a headlock.
Members of the party's state executive were expecting Opposition Leader Jess Wilson to make the move and ask to have her preselection revoked.
Mrs Deeming had accepted a request to meet with Ms Wilson, but leader of opposition business James Newbury on Tuesday said that was now off the table given her refusal to apologise to Mr Guy.
"A request was made for her to make an unqualified apology. She has refused to do that. Further action, therefore, needs to occur, and the party is working on that now," Mr Newbury said.
The state executive would need three days to arrange a meeting to vote on removing Mrs Deeming as the top candidate on the Liberal Party ballot for the Western Metropolitan Region, a position that all but guarantees election.
Several MPs, including those who have been allies of Mrs Deeming, have said they no longer want her in the team.
Mrs Deeming had alleged that Mr Guy put her in a headlock at a Macedonian community event last month.
She first took her complaint to Ms Wilson's office before reporting the allegation to Victoria Police.
Police on Thursday dismissed her complaint after reviewing CCTV of the interaction.
Footage showed Mr Guy placing his hand on Mrs Deeming’s back at the crowded Sunshine venue.
Mr Guy demanded an apology at an emotional press conference on Friday, and has threatened to bring in defamation lawyers.
Mrs Deeming has claimed she is enduring "pack bullying".
She insists she made the complaint in good faith and that her interpretation of the interaction was exacerbated by trauma.
In a statement released through her lawyer on Monday, Mrs Deeming conceded she misunderstood the technical meaning of the word headlock but said she would not apologise for making tne complaint.
"She will not apologise for something she has not done,"
Moira Deeming (PERSON)
Victorian (ORG)
Liberal Party (ORG)
Matthew Guy (PERSON)
Mrs Deeming (PERSON)
Guy (PERSON)
Macedonian (ORG)
CCTV (ORG)
The Victorian Liberal Party (ORG)
Jess Wilson (PERSON)
Ms Wilson (PERSON)
James Newbury (PERSON)
Newbury (PERSON)
the Liberal Party (ORG)
the Western Metropolitan Region (ORG)