Western Victoria Liberal MP Bev McArthur says she delayed a trip overseas to attend a funeral to show support for fellow party member Moira Deeming.
Ms Deeming, the Legislative Council's Western Metropolitan MP, was under fire for being involved in the Let Women Speak in Melbourne on March 18, which was hijacked by neo-Nazis.
The Liberal Party held a two-hour meeting on Monday, where it was unanimously voted to suspend Ms Deeming for nine months. Ms McArthur flew from Australia to the United Kingdom on Wednesday.
"I was booked to go on Monday but changed my flight as I believed the Liberal Party meeting was of such significance I needed to attend," she said. "I am travelling to Scotland to attend the funeral of my deceased son's godmother.
"(Attending) Monday's expulsion meeting had even more significance for me as it was the fifth anniversary of (son) Andrew's tragic death due to a cycling accident in Sydney."
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Ms McArthur said she supported Ms Deeming's stance on the threat to women. "I campaign for the rights of women and their need for safe places, including on the steps of parliament, just as Moira does," she said.
"In fact, had I not been in Brisbane at a federal Liberal women's conference where the focus was about attracting smart young women like Moira into parliament, combined with developing policies that might resonate with women, I may well have been at the Let Women Speak rally."
Ms McArthur rejected the characterisation of the rally as anti-trans rights, saying the focus should have been on the men who caused a disruption.
"The fact women even need to voice their concerns on these matters is a travesty and something to which the media should give voice," she said. "So every effort ought be made to keep disruptive elements at bay."
Another south-west MP who supported Ms Deeming was Polwarth's Richard Riordan. "The use of expelling someone from the party is for a grave misdemeanour," he told The Standard on Wednesday.
"Attending a rally for women's rights wouldn't make the threshold in my mind in this day and age."
Mr Riordan said the world was becoming a place where public discussion wasn't allowed and "we're moving to labelling and cancelling people".
Ms Deeming said in a statement on March 20, she, and the organisers, had done nothing wrong.
That same day, Premier Daniel Andrews called for Parliament to ban the Nazi salute in Victoria.
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Lillian Altman
Lillian is an experienced journalist who joined Warrnambool Standard in late 2021. She has a particular interest in writing stories on the arts and culture, health, education, breaking news, police stories, as well as human interest and profiles.
Lillian is an experienced journalist who joined Warrnambool Standard in late 2021. She has a particular interest in writing stories on the arts and culture, health, education, breaking news, police stories, as well as human interest and profiles.
