Moira Deeming has told colleagues she “deeply grieves” the turmoil surrounding her legal fight with the Victorian Liberal Party and is attempting to resolve the dispute before it returns to court later this month.
According to the Herald Sun, the embattled MP sent a series of private messages to colleagues on Friday.
This came hours after the Victorian Supreme Court heard the opening stages of her challenge against attempts to remove her as a Liberal candidate for the November state election.
Ms Deeming is fighting to retain the top position on the Liberal Party’s Western Metropolitan Region ticket after controversy surrounding allegations she made against former state leader Matthew Guy.
The dispute has become the latest flashpoint in a party, with senior Liberals increasingly concerned the saga is overshadowing the Coalition’s campaign against the Allan government.
In messages obtained by colleagues, Ms Deeming acknowledged the impact the dispute was having on the party.
“Please allow me to tell you how keenly aware I am of the fact this must be negatively impacting you, and I deeply grieve it and regret it,” Mrs Deeming said.
“I am doing my best to fix it.”
The Victorian Liberal launched urgent legal action against party president Brian Loughnane after learning the state executive was preparing to consider her future as a candidate.
The party later informed the court it would not proceed with the planned meeting while the matter remains before the judiciary.
The case is due to return to court on July 17.
In her messages, Ms Deeming indicated she hoped the legal action would create enough breathing space for a negotiated resolution.
“It may not appear so to you right now, but my actions today were designed to secure the reprieve needed to avoid a slip into self destruction, and mediate this out of existence for all our sakes,” she allegedly said.
“I am continuing to reach out and seek internal settlement with all involved, even tonight.”
The controversy stems from a complaint Ms Deeming made to Victoria Police regarding an interaction with Mr Guy at a gala dinner in May.
Police reviewed available footage and ultimately concluded there was “no offence detected”.
The finding prompted calls from within the Liberal Party for Ms Deeming to apologise to Mr Guy and withdraw her allegations.
Federal Liberal senator Sarah Henderson said this week she was disappointed Ms Deeming had not done so.
“I’m personally disappointed that Moira did not withdraw her police complaint and apologise to Matthew Guy,” Ms Henderson told Sky News.
“I really feel for Matthew Guy. The accusations that were made against him were completely unfounded.”
Ms Deeming has continued to reject suggestions she acted improperly.
In her message to colleagues, she maintained she had not deliberately made a false allegation.
“I’m not above helping the party save face but it is not true that I made a deliberate or reckless false allegation, and it is not true that I caused anyone to be defamed,” the message read.
She also reiterated that she only approached police after being advised to do so by party officials.
Earlier this week, lawyers acting for Ms Deeming made similar arguments, stating she had followed advice from senior Liberal figures after attempts to resolve the matter internally failed.
The lawyers said Ms Deeming believed her complaint was made honestly and in good faith.
The MP also used her messages to argue the party needed stronger internal processes to deal with disputes.
Ms Deeming told colleagues she had become “very unwell” during the dispute and had attempted to keep the matter confidential.
The latest developments come less than two years after Ms Deeming successfully sued former Liberal leader John Pesutto for defamation.
That legal victory ultimately contributed to Mr Pesutto losing the party leadership and paved the way for Ms Deeming’s return to the Liberal partyroom.
However, the support she once enjoyed within sections of the party has weakened significantly following the release of the CCTV footage at the centre of the Matthew Guy dispute.