Victorian MP Moira Deeming told the Federal Court on Wednesday that it was not controversial to say women did not have penises and that “no man has a vagina”.
Protest leaders made the remarks at the controversial Let Women Speak rally outside state parliament in March 2023, which Deeming, then a Liberal MP, attended.
Ms Deeming was giving evidence in her defamation trial against Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto over comments he made about her attendance at the rally.
She alleges that Pesutto falsely portrayed her as a Nazi sympathizer after she spoke at the rally, which was disrupted by neo-Nazis.
Mr Pesutto’s barrister, Dr Matthew Collins KC, asked Ms Deeming whether comments made at the rally by British transgender activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull “about how women can’t have penises” were provocative and controversial.
“It’s absolutely undisputed that those things were said at the Let Women Speak demonstration. That’s literally what we all came here to say,” Deeming responded.
Dr Collins was also questioned about possible links between the rally and neo-Nazi groups.
She said comments from keyboard warriors labelling her a Nazi or fascist failed to deter her from attending the women’s rights rally.
Independent MP Moira Deeming (centre, in blue shirt) arrives at the Federal Court of Australia in Melbourne, Wednesday, September 18, 2024.
Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto (left) and his wife Betty arrive at the Federal Court of Australia in Melbourne, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024.
Ms Deeming acknowledged receiving numerous critical comments following her tweet promoting the event, questioning her relationship with “brownshirts” – another term for Nazis or fascists.
But she viewed the disparaging comments as attempts to provoke her rather than genuine concerns about her association with rally-goers.
The court was shown footage of the demonstration, which included a line of men dressed in black repeatedly performing the Nazi salute on the steps of parliament, and numerous tweets about the event.
Ms Deeming said she had “never seen such images” of the Nazi salutes and questioned why police had not arrested the group.
“I haven’t seen that before, that just shows they’re not with us,” Deeming said Wednesday.
After the rally, she received a text message from Liberal deputy leader David Southwick telling her to report the neo-Nazis.
But Ms Deeming said she was not prepared to send out a press release on her own because she was new to parliament and thought something like that would need to be approved by the party.
Instead, he made a statement on social media.
Earlier, Judge David O’Callaghan opened the hearing. Rejecting Ms. Deeming’s request summon Mr. Southwick for communications or recordings.
The request followed a secret recording of a Liberal leadership meeting in March 2023, played in court on Tuesday.
Ms Deeming said that despite her involvement, she tried to avoid being a divisive member of the Liberal Party after it was rocked by an internal dispute over duck hunting.
“I’ve never seen anything like this with adults,” he told the Federal Court hearing of a heated exchange inside the party hall.
As a result, she asked Mr. Pesutto to help her defend women’s rights without creating a similar situation.
She said Mr. Pesutto told her in a “very warm” way that “proves to me that you are not going to be that kind of person.”
Ms. Deeming said she wanted to meet with Mr. Pesutto to get more advice on the demonstration, but that never happened.
Mr Collins suggested that Ms Deeming did not inform Mr Pesutto about her full participation in the demonstration because she knew it would be controversial.
“I knew it was controversial. I don’t deny any of those things,” Deeming told the court.
“I just thought I had consulted with my leader and he knew what he was doing.”
Asked if she thought the demonstration could turn violent, Deeming said threats from counter-protesters made her “more determined to be brave.”
Ms Deeming will continue to be questioned on Thursday.
Critical British transgender activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull speaks on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne on March 18, 2023. Victorian MP Moira Deeming is pictured to her right.
Neo-Nazi leader Thomas Sewell is seen at the Let Women Speak rally in Melbourne on Saturday, March 18, 2023.
High-profile Liberals are expected to give evidence during the three-week trial, including federal senator Sarah Henderson, Mr Southwick and former MP Matt Bach, who now lives in the UK.
Mr Pesutto has denied any wrongdoing.
Ms Deeming has been an independent MP since being expelled from the Liberal Party.
Mr Pesutto had previously reached settlements with trans rights activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull and Angela Jones, with both issuing a public apology for their participation in the protest.
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