Explosive Emails Expose MP’s Extreme Right Wing Views
22 February, 2023
An FOI request has revealed shocking emails from new Victorian Liberal politician Moira Deeming, who is on a Christian crusade against sex workers and the transgender community.
A freedom of information request from Sex Work Law Reform Victoria uncovered almost 100 emails from the former Melton City Councillor which attack legal sex work, transgender rights, abortion laws, and opposing Victoria’s ban on gay conversion therapy. These emails, sent between 2020 and 2022, frequently invoke Deeming’s fundamentalist Christian views. The emails were provided to Sex Work Law Reform Victoria by Melton City Council.
The dozens of emails reveal Moira Deeming’s intent to change Victoria’s abortion laws, her fierce opposition to LGBTIQ rights and sex workers’ rights. Overwhelmingly, she attacks the transgender rights movement.
Included among the emails is a detailed plan for an internal (not intended for the public) speech to a Liberal Party branch meeting.
This cache of emails is a warning of what can happen when hardliners secure endorsement from a major political party. These emails reveal extreme positions which are outside the political mainstream, for example, mandatory STI testing for all sex work clients prior to each visit to a sex worker, or her claim that she won Liberal pre-selection due to divine intervention:
“I did not win [Liberal Party preselection] on merit….I won because God arranged it.”
“The reason we initiated this FOI process is because we believe Mrs Deeming is seeking to destroy popular and progressive Victorian Government reforms aimed at protecting a range of human rights. These emails highlight the danger of electing people who seek to bring their religious views into politics”, says Lisa Dallimore, President of Sex Work Law Reform Victoria. “Deeming presents a risk to women’s sexual and reproductive rights, and to the LGBTIQ and sex worker communities. The documents are a reminder of why voters and political parties need to know candidates’ real views before an election.”
The Victorian Liberal Party dumped Bernie Finn last year for his extreme views on abortion – Sex Work Law Reform Victoria suggests they also dump Deeming in the same way.
Some examples of the emails revealed by our FOI request:
- email by Moira Deeming dated 21 October 2021 “Council officers do [not] have any of the required weapons, combat training, psychological training, or legislated enforcement powers that would be required to ensure any level of safety in this industry [the sex industry] at all.”
- undated document “I am a conservative Christian with over ten years’ experience…..loving real gay and trans people.”
Read all of Moira Deeming’s emails in full here:
For Comment:
Matthew Roberts
Sex Work Law Reform Victoria Inc.
0420644330
contact@swlrv.org.au
Sex Work Law Reform Victoria is a not-for-profit sex workers’ rights organisation led by Victorian sex workers. Founded in 2018, the organisation advocates to all levels of government regarding the legal rights of sex workers in Victoria. Sex Work Law Reform Victoria has put sex workers’ rights on the political agenda in Victoria, Australia, paving the way for the passage of the Sex Work Decriminalisation Act 2022 (Vic).