Party members initially voted to replace sitting crossbench MP Deeming with Dinesh Gourisetty for the Western Metropolitan Region spot ahead of the November 28 election, but Gourisetty was ruled ineligible after providing a character reference for a convicted child sex offender.
Nominations reopened briefly, with challengers either rejected or withdrawing, leaving Deeming as the only contender awaiting formal endorsement.
The drama highlights factional rifts in the Victorian Liberals, who lag in polls, and follows Deeming’s expulsion from the party room over a controversial rally and her successful defamation win.
