John Pesutto’s quest to make the Victorian Liberals electable remains hostage to a bitter and intractable dispute with an exiled colleague.
Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto says he has done “everything that’s within my power” to resolve the bitter dispute with exiled colleague Moira Deeming plaguing his leadership and his party’s prospects of presenting a viable alternative government.
Moderate MPs canvassed by this masthead expressed doubt that a majority of colleagues would accept Deeming’s return, though none would talk publicly about internal party matters. One Pesutto supporter said it would solve an immediate problem but most likely, create a bigger one. “If they are f---ed now they are 100 times more f---ed if they let Moira back in,” the supporter said.
“There are two groups with two different timelines,” the MP said. “One wants it to happen in September when the court case engulfs him. The other wants it to happen faster.” Pesutto said his two senior staff, a Harvard-educated lawyer in Pintos-Lopez and an experienced journalist and communications adviser in Johnston, left amicably to resume commercial careers. The announcement was delayed until last week so that it wouldn’t affect