Renee Heath stripped of key Liberal party room role – Sky News Australia

Renee Heath has been stripped of a key role with the Victorian Liberals on the same day that Moira Deeming was expelled from the party room. 

The Victorian Opposition is yet again fighting amongst itself instead of the states Premier Daniel Andrews, says Sky News host Peta Credlin. And this time, apparently, I was the cause of the blue, Ms Credlin said. It all stemmed from the botched attempt by Liberal Leader John Pesutto to expel Moira Deeming from his parliamentary team. Ms Credlin said Victorian Liberal MP and party Secretary Renee Heath has been accused of leaking information from the minutes of a meeting concerning Ms Deeming. As multiple MPs have recounted to me, Heath was verbally attacked by John Pesutto she labels it bullying and accused of leaking the Deeming meeting minutes to me, Ms Credlin stated. Renee Heath did not give me any information about the minutes. The allegation today from Pesutto is completely false.

Ms Heath was removed as secretary of the parliamentary Liberals on Friday on a day in which Moira Deeming was expelled from the party room.

A number colleagues brought forward a motion to strip Ms Heath of the role but Opposition Leader John Pesutto would not name those behind the move.

"I think it's fair to say that a couple of Renee's colleagues in the party room moved the motion, reflected a view in the room that there had been a loss of confidence in the performance of the role," Mr Pesutto told reporters.

"Not in Renee personally, of course, but in the performance of the role and that it was an opportunity to elect somebody to that position for a fresh start."

Renee Heath (right) has been removed as Victorian parliamentary Liberal party secretary, while Moira Deeming (left) has been expelled from the party room. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Ascui

Mr Pesutto declined to go into further details about the motion but confirmed he backed the move, which saw Ms Heath replaced by Trung Luu.

The Liberal leader added Ms Heath does "have a future" within the Liberal party room but indicated she was better suited to "other roles".

"I was convinced on the strength of the motion that was put, and the arguments that were made, that it was an opportunity for a fresh start in relation to that position," Mr Pesutto said.

"Renee still is a member of the party room, she still has a future in the party room, obviously with other roles. But at this time we felt it was important for a fresh start."

The motion came less than two weeks after Sky News Australia host Peta Credlin revealed Ms Heath was reduced to tears by Mr Pesutto during a party room meeting.

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Ms Heath was alleged to have leaked minutes of a meeting in March that saw Ms Deeming suspended from the Liberal party room for nine months.

"Today in the room, as multiple MPs have recounted to me, (Renee) Heath was verbally attacked by John Pesutto she labels it bullying and accused of leaking the Deeming meeting minutes to me," Credlin said on May 2.

"I can say to you right now, Renee Heath did not give me any information about the minutes the allegation today from Pesutto is completely false."

Credlin said Ms Heath was "shaken" by the experience, before quoting from an email the upper house MP sent to the entire Victorian Liberal party room.

The Sky News Australia host also made a point to tell Mr Pesutto that she did not get the email from Ms Heath.

"I once again feel completely stitched up and misrepresented by the leadership with no ability to defend myself. I wasn't even given the space to correct the mistruths about me in today's meeting," Ms Heath said in her email to colleagues.

John Pesutto said a motion was put forward on Friday seeking a "fresh start" in the party secretary role that had been held by Renee Heath. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Luis Enrique Ascui

"I am upset. Very upset. The way I have been treated and the way other conservative women in this party are treated is nothing short of bullying.

"Why can't we respect each other? Why can't you have an idea or a difference of opinions without having eyes rolled, and nasty and personal interjections?"

Ms Heath entered parliament last year after being elected to the Legislative Council as a Liberal member for Eastern Victoria.

She was one of the 11 Liberal MPs on Friday who voted against the motion to expel Ms Deeming from the party room. Nineteen MPs supported the motion.

Mr Pesutto did not go into the specifics of that vote but revealed Ms Deeming's threat of legal action against both himself and the party had not sat well with colleagues.

"That played a part," he said.

"I think nobody could look at that and say that it is a tenable position in any political party for one member of the party room to sue another member of that party."

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Renee Heath stripped of key Liberal party room role - Sky News Australia

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