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Moira Deeming drops legal case against Victorian Liberal party, makes last-ditch bid to avoid disendorsement

Victorian MP Moira Deeming has resigned from the parliamentary Liberal Party and will sit as an independent after being disendorsed as a candidate for the November state election. The resignation follows a dispute with former leader Matthew Guy over an assault allegation, which police found no offence in.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 outlets · 5 articles Version 1 Coverage Jul 2 – Aug 7, 2026 Published Aug 15

Lead

Victorian upper house MP Moira Deeming has resigned from the parliamentary Liberal Party and will sit on the crossbench as an independent, following weeks of internal conflict that culminated in her disendorsement as a candidate for the upcoming state election. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson confirmed the resignation on Tuesday, saying she had received it that morning. Deeming, who represents the Western Metropolitan Region, said in a statement posted to social media that she would continue to represent the needs of everyday Australians and remain committed to seeing Labor defeated.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from ABC Australia and The Guardian describe a rapid sequence of events that moved from a court challenge to resignation. Deeming launched an eleventh-hour legal action against the party's Victorian president, Brian Loughnane, to prevent the party from moving against her after she made an assault allegation against former leader Matthew Guy. The Supreme Court challenge was lodged on 3 July, but Deeming announced late on Wednesday that she had withdrawn the case, saying the injunction had achieved what it intended. The state party then called a meeting for Friday afternoon, where it voted to cancel Deeming's endorsement for the number one position in the Western Metropolitan Region. In a statement, the party thanked Deeming for her service and said it considered the matter resolved.

ABC Australia reported that the party's state executive selected Roshena Campbell, Melbourne's deputy lord mayor and a barrister, to replace Deeming on the ticket. Campbell beat out current MP Trung Luu for the top spot on the ballot. Luu, who had the support of senior Liberals in parliament, will have to reapply for the second position, which is generally winnable but could face a serious challenge from One Nation. Campbell previously ran unsuccessfully as the Liberal candidate for Aston in a 2023 by-election.

Key Claims

Moira Deeming was disendorsed by the Liberal Party as a candidate for the November state election, with the party's state executive voting to cancel her endorsement for the number one position in the Western Metropolitan Region.
Deeming dropped an eleventh-hour legal challenge against her own party before the disendorsement vote. She had lodged a Supreme Court action against party president Brian Loughnane on 3 July.
The state party called a meeting for Friday afternoon to vote on removing Deeming as a candidate.
Deeming accused Matthew Guy of grabbing her "violently" in a headlock at a community function in May. She later claimed she misunderstood the meaning of headlock.
Police investigated the incident and concluded there was "no offence detected." CCTV footage showed Guy placing his hand on Deeming's upper back as they leaned in to talk.
Roshena Campbell was selected to replace Deeming on the Liberal Party ticket for the Western Metropolitan Region.
After being disendorsed, Deeming moved to the crossbench and will sit as an independent MP.
Matthew Guy demanded a public apology from Deeming, but she refused, saying she made the allegation in good faith.
Deeming also flagged possible bankruptcy proceedings, which could force her removal from parliament, as she has been unable to repay a loan that funded her successful defamation action against former opposition leader John Pesutto.

Perspectives

Moira Deeming

In her statement announcing the withdrawal of her legal challenge, Deeming said the injunction had achieved its intended purpose and that she had progressed the issue in good faith, respected confidentiality, submitted to party policies, and obeyed the law. She said the state executive could now decide whether to pursue mediation or reconvene to disendorse her. After her resignation, she said her focus remained on representing everyday Australians and that she remained fully committed to seeing Labor defeated.

Victorian Liberal Party

In a statement following the disendorsement vote, the party said it had decided to cancel Deeming's endorsement, thanked her for her service, and considered the matter resolved. The party said it looked forward to outlining its plan for Victoria in the lead-up to the November election. Leader Jess Wilson confirmed Deeming's resignation, saying she had received it that morning.

Matthew Guy

Guy vehemently denied that anything untoward took place and told reporters in June that Deeming owed him a public apology, adding that the premier and attorney-general also owed him one. Police reviewed the CCTV and concluded no offence was committed.