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Moira Deeming is an Australian politician. She is a member of the Liberal Party and is a member of the Victorian Legislative Council, representing the Western Metropolitan Region since November 2022. She was previously a councillor for the Melton City Council representing the Watts Ward.

On 27 March 2023 she was suspended from the parliamentary Liberal Party for nine months. A week before it was announced by the leader of the opposition, John Pesutto, that he would move to have her expelled from the parliamentary Liberal Party after she spoke at an anti-trans rally outside the Victorian Parliament. The rally was attended by independent neo-Nazi groups who repeatedly performed Nazi salutes from the steps of Parliament.

Early life and education

Deeming has a Bachelor of International Relations from La Trobe University and a Post-Graduate Diploma of Education from the University of Melbourne. She has worked as a teacher for over a decade, before leaving to homeschool her children.

Beliefs

Deeming described the anti-bullying and inclusion program Safe Schools as "sleazy". In 2020 she described the "watch and wait" approach for treating gender dysphoria as "highly successful, low risk"—in line with the Liberal Party's statement that while they oppose conversion therapy, the Andrew's government legislation "allows government interference in the relationships between medical professionals and patients," and "unfairly targets psychiatry and psychotherapy specifically"

On 18 March 2023, Deeming spoke at the Let Women Speak event, a part of anti-transgender rights activist Kellie Jay Keen's speaking tour.

She is pro-life and believes the laws legalising abortion need to be repealed, and believes that rape victims should reject abortions and turn to God and to the church instead. She is against voluntary euthanasia.

Deeming is against the COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and considers vaccine passports "immoral" and a form of "segregation". As of September 2021 she said in an interview that she was unvaccinated, and that she'll be "waiting" and that she is "reserving her judgement" due to "concerns".

Deeming is against changing the date of Australia Day.

Political career

2014 Victorian state election

Deeming stood as a candidate for the Liberal Party in the lower house for the seat of St Albans at the 2014 Victorian state election. She secured 26.9% of the vote, losing to the Labor Party's Natalie Suleyman.

2018 Victorian state election

In 2018 at the state election Deeming stood as a candidate for the Liberal Party for the upper house Western Metropolitan Region seat in the Victorian Legislative Council. She received 356 first preference votes (0.08%) and failed to gain a seat.

2020 Melton City Council election

Deeming stood as a candidate for the Watts Ward at the 2020 Melton City Council election on 24 October, receiving 21.49% of the primary vote and successfully securing the second allocation.

2022 Federal election

Following the 2022 Australian federal election, it was reported in The Age that on 26 March the Victorian Liberal Party's administrative committee voted for Deeming to run in the lower house seat of Gorton. Before she was able to be endorsed, a top party official relayed the view of Scott Morrison's Office that "negative media coverage of Deeming's hardline social views could distract" from Morrison's campaign. Reportedly, another vote was held and a different candidate was picked.

2022 Victorian state election

On 23 July, Deeming was endorsed by the Liberal Party to contest the upper house Western Metropolitan Region seat in the Victorian Legislative Council to replace Bernie Finn at the Victorian state election.

Deeming’s preselection was considered controversial because she replaced the similarly right wing Bernie Finn at the top of the Liberal ticket, following Finn's expulsion from the Liberal Party after making "inflammatory social media posts". Finn, who contested the election as a Democratic Labour Party candidate, was reported to be "delighted" at Deeming’s preselection. Andrew Elsbury, a moderate Liberal Party member who held the seat from 2010–2014 quit the party in response to her preselection, describing it as the "final straw". Deeming was successfully elected to the Legislative Council.

In Deeming's maiden speech before parliament, she criticised critical social justice in school curriculums and the "decriminalisation of sex work".

"Let Women Speak" rally

On 18 March 2023, Deeming spoke at the anti-trans "Let Women Speak" rally in Melbourne which was independently attended by the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network and its leader Thomas Sewell as well as Nathan Bull, a neo-Nazi son of a police officer. The neo-Nazis repeatedly engaged in Nazi salutes and carried far-right extremist banners, directed at a counter protest of the "Let Women Speak" rally, which had been organised by LGBTQ+ rights activists.

In a public statement describing Deeming’s position as “untenable” due to her “involvement in organising, promoting and participating in a rally with speakers and other organisers who themselves have been publicly associated with far right-wing extremist groups including neo-Nazi activists” Liberal opposition leader, John Pesutto moved to expel her from the party. An attempt was made by fellow MPs Brad Battin and Richard Riordan to delay the expulsion a week, but the move failed, losing the vote 18 to 11. It's believed that Deeming was also supported by Chris Crewther, Matthew Guy, Bill Tilley, David Hodgett, and Ann-Marie Hermans.

Liberal MPs reportedly pressured Pesutto to find a less severe punishment over her role in the rally due to the in-fighting the rally has caused in the party.

Personal life

Deeming is Presbyterian, though attended the Catholic high school St. Francis Xavier College.

References

1. "Victorial Liberal MP Moira Deeming suspended for nine months but avoids expulsion over controversial rally". Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
2. ^ "Cr Moira Deeming". www.melton.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
3. Abbott, Sumeyya Ilanbey, Broede Carmody, Lachlan (21 March 2023). "Bid to delay expulsion of Deeming fails as details of Pesutto's motion revealed". The Age. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
4. Kolovos, Benita (20 March 2023). "Moira Deeming vows to fight expulsion push over involvement in protest attended by neo-Nazis". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
5. "Liberal MP set to be expelled over role in violent Melbourne anti-trans rally". 7NEWS. 19 March 2023. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
6. "Moira Deeming". Liberal Victoria. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
7. Deeming, Moira (4 May 2020). "Is It Time We Seriously Considered Homeschooling? · Caldron Pool". Caldron Pool. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
8. Kolovos, Benita (24 July 2022). "Victoria health minister accuses Liberals of selecting anti-abortion Bernie Finn 'clone'". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
9. Deeming, Moira (20 August 2020). "The cultural juggernaut of transgender ideology: not kids' stuff". The Spectator Australia. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
10. "The Liberal Nationals strongly oppose barbaric LGBT conversion and suppression practices" (Press release). Liberal Party (Victoria). 2 February 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
11. Elliards, Xander (4 February 2023). "Who is Posie Parker? The controversial anti-trans activist heading to Scotland". The National. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
12. ^ Fitzsimons, Tim (1 February 2019). "Prominent transgender advocate harassed by anti-trans feminists, video shows". NBC News. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
13. ^ Deeming, Moira (18 October 2020). "Day 19: Changing Hearts, Minds and Laws". Daily Declaration. Christian News. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
14. Deeming, Moira (16 October 2021). "Day 17: Stopping a Terrible Evil". Daily Declaration. Christian News. Archived from the original on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
15. Oliver, Sarah (20 December 2021). "Councillors speak openly against mandates". Melton & Moorabool. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
16. LIVE TALK WITH CANADA: Moira Deeming. 9 September 2021. 21 minutes in. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
17. Graham, Jackson (23 July 2022). "Liberals choose councillor with controversial trans views to replace Bernie Finn". The Age. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
18. "St Albans District". Victorian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
19. "2018 State election results". Victorian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
20. "Melton City Council election results 2020". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
21. 2020 Local government elections: Melton City Council Election Report (PDF) (Report). Victorian Electoral Commission. 19 April 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
22. ^ Sakkal, Paul (27 July 2022). "State Liberal candidate was deemed 'too extreme' for Scott Morrison's campaign". The Age. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
23. Graham, Jackson (23 July 2022). "Liberals choose councillor with controversial trans views to replace Bernie Finn". The Age. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
24. "Liberals choose councillor with controversial trans views to replace Bernie Finn". Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
25. "'Delighted' Bernie Finn reacts to his Liberal Party replacement". 25 July 2022. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
26. "'In the past': Matthew Guy dismisses concerns over Victorian Liberal candidate's attacks on transgender rights". The Guardian. 29 July 2022. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
27. Carmody, Broede (21 February 2023). "New Liberal MP uses maiden speech to slam equality 'taken to extremes'". The Age. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
28. "Activists expose disturbing past of young Aussie neo-Nazi". News.com.au. 20 March 2023. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
29. ^ Kolovos, Benita (20 March 2023). "Victorian opposition leader moves to expel MP involved in anti-trans protest attended by neo-Nazis". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
30. Ilanbey, Sumeyya; Eddie, Rachel; Sakkal, Paul (21 March 2023). "Moira Deeming suffers blow in fight against expulsion from Liberals' party room". The Age. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
31. Ilanbey, Sumeyya (22 March 2023). "Liberals fight for Deeming reprieve as anti-trans rights saga splits party". The Age. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
32. "Principles over Principals". IPA - The Voice For Freedom. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.

• Politicians from Melbourne
• Victoria (Australia) local councillors
• Living people
• Australian Presbyterians
• Liberal Party of Australia politicians
• La Trobe University alumni
• University of Melbourne alumni
• Members of the Victorian Legislative Council
• Women members of the Victorian Legislative Council