Inside the betrayal that drove MP Moira Deeming to fight for the protection of women’s rights

She was the mother of four children who unknowingly became the face of Nazi hatred against the transgender community.

But thanks to a sordid smear campaign by her political masters, Moira Deeming has not only survived a failed attempt to have her expelled from the Liberal Party, she has also emerged as a poster girl for the protection of ordinary women’s rights.

Now some of those close to Ms Deeming have given Daily Mail Australia a glimpse of what makes her tick – revealing why the controversial MP is more determined than ever to stick to her values.

Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto had wanted the MP expelled from the party after she appeared at a Let Women Speak rally on March 18 that was crushed by neo-Nazis.

But the hatchet backfired spectacularly.

Instead of being dumped from the party, Mrs. Deeming is suspended from the banquet hall for nine months.

Political insiders say the suspension could allow Ms Deeming, who represents Victoria’s Western Metropolitan Region, to spend more time focusing on her work.

“She doesn’t have to attend their meetings, which is a blessing in itself,” a source said Tuesday.

It is clear that Mrs. Deeming is now taking time off to vacation with her family, as the dust of Mr. Pesutto’s failed dismantling attempt settles.

She declined to comment when Daily Mail Australia contacted her on Tuesday.

Born to devoted and loving parents in Pakenham Upper – 53km southeast of Melbourne’s CBD – Ms Deeming led a somewhat disjointed life after their divorce, eventually ending up in her teens across Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne’s western suburbs.

With a passion for education, Mrs. Deeming went on to college and became a teacher, which she did for over a decade before being inspired to join her congregation in Melton.

She started life as a left-wing Labor supporter, which those who know her say are values ​​she still holds dear.

“She actually became a liberal because they were much more democratic in their internal structure and had the ability to speak out and have different opinions,” said a friend of Ms Deeming’s.

“I think Moira was sad about how the Labor Party had become an echo chamber where you can’t talk about things. And that’s sad for the vast majority of Labor voters, because they have the same opinion as them.’

Mr. Pesutto’s attempt to kick Ms. Deeming out of the party forced her to reveal intimate details of her formative years, including sexual abuse as a child.

In a banquet hall speech, Ms. Deeming revealed that she had been raped and sexually assaulted as a child by men in toilet blocks, which drove her actions.

A close friend of Ms Deeming’s told the Daily Mail Australia that she had been targeted by mean and opportunistic men.

“Predators are what they are. They’re just predators and they’re so good at preying on kids… I think she was just one of those kids who could single out predators as vulnerable and that’s why she’s so high on having clear standards,” she said.

Mrs. Deeming’s experiences as a child were sparked when laws were changed to allow men to enter female toilets and changing rooms.

It was an issue she raised as a private citizen with every Victorian council.

“I don’t think the vast majority of people know this, but under the law you now have to assume that anyone who is in a public toilet today has a right to be there,” she told the newspaper in July. Sentinel Times. 2021.

“If we go into the women’s locker rooms and there’s a man undressing in front of my girls, there’s nothing I can do but leave.”

Those closest to Ms Deeming told Daily Mail Australia that the past few weeks have only made her more determined to stick to her values.

“She had prepared a win speech and a lose speech, but not her despicably unjust and pointless suspension speech. But she is determined. They’re not going to make her sell out her values,” a source said.

She’s not interested in being a clickbait sensation or building a long-term career as a Sky News presenter. She will put her head down and figure out how to bring about change in these laws and she doesn’t care if she gets credit for it. It’s about how we can effectively influence the laws to restore some basic child protections and some sex-based rights.”

While the media outlets have run a story declaring that Ms Deeming has ‘a far-right agenda’, Ms Deeming’s supporters told Daily Mail Australia she had never come close to the top three issues that fit that mold.

“She has never outlined public policy issues about sex work, euthanasia and abortion,” a source said.

“There are probably certain aspects of that policy that she has but it’s not accurate to say she has a huge agenda and there’s no evidence to say it’s her agenda and we all don’t know why people keep saying it .’

They further stated that Ms. Deeming was not campaigning for “anti-trans rights.”

“She’s been on the record repeatedly saying she likes taking care of them,” the source said.

In reality, Ms. Deeming is known for putting herself right at the center of both left and right ideologies.

“She’s just open to learning and listening before taking a policy position,” the source said.

Pesutto’s move saw Ms Deeming gain support from the Conservative faction of the Liberal Party, believed to be a first in her political career.

Whether she continues to enjoy that support in the future remains up in the air.

“She will always vote based on her conscience. It would be pointless to give her a list of people to vote for. She doesn’t make deals. She’s going to vote for the best candidate every time,” the source said.