Moira Deeming avoids being expelled by Victorian Liberal party room after leader buckles to pressure

Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming has been suspended rather than expelled from the party room after its marathon two-hour meeting. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAP

The Victorian Liberal leader, John Pesutto, has buckled to pressure and withdrawn his bid to expel controversial MP Moira Deeming from the party room.

Instead, after a two-hour meeting, the Liberal party room on Monday unanimously voted to suspend the upper house MP for nine months, as well as strip her of the position of upper house whip after she belatedly condemned anti-transgender activists.