In the Victorian state parliament, the privileges committee will investigate alleged contempt of parliament after John Pesutto was sought to be served with defamation proceedings within the precinct yesterday.

Pesutto is facing three defamation cases in the Federal Court from crossbench MP Moira Deeming (who was removed from the parliamentary Liberal Party last year), British anti-trans rights activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, and Melbourne woman Angie Jones.

Jones’ case was served on Pesutto through his lawyers yesterday by email, the opposition says.

But the lower house this morning heard that a woman, Louise Carrigg, also brought the documents to him within the parliamentary precinct.

Manager of opposition business, James Newbury, told parliament that Pesutto believed this was a deliberate attempt to have television crews film him being served in front of assembled media.

Newbury’s complaint to the privileges’ committee, to investigate whether there had been a contempt of parliament, was carried by the lower house.

“The member for Hawthorn [Pesutto] therefore requests the privileges committee consider the question of the following: Whether visitors obstructing a member going about his or her parliamentary activities within the parliamentary precinct is a contempt of the parliament; a member or staff member employed by the parliament signing in a visitor for that purpose is a contempt,” Newbury told the parliament.

“It was therefore a stunt as part of the ongoing and highly publicised legal actions of Ms Angie Jones, Ms Kellie-Jay Keen, and Ms Deeming of the [upper house]. The member for Hawthorn is concerned that the events of Wednesday constitute a contempt of parliament and raise serious concerns about security for all members of parliament, staff and visitors who work and attend the parliamentary precinct.”

Despite believing Pesutto was not legally served by Carrigg in parliament, Newbury also asked the committee to consider whether members are being protected from being served legal documents at work in the parliamentary precinct, and whether that extends to electorate offices.

He said Deeming’s electorate officer was with Carrigg within the precinct that morning.

Carrigg had joined Deeming, Keen-Minshull and Jones on the steps of parliament for the Let Women Speak rally that was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis a year ago, Newbury said.

Contacted by The Age, Deeming said any suggestion her electorate officer signed Carrigg into parliament on Wednesday was false.

In a statement, Katherine Deves, acting for Jones from Alexander Rashidi Lawyers, said the firm was forced to serve Pesutto at parliament.

“This firm sought acceptance from Mr Pesutto’s solicitors that they were instructed to accept service. Despite seeking that confirmation on numerous occasions, we did not receive a response. We then attended to personal service, Ms Jones is a pensioner and asked a friend of hers, Ms Louise Carrigg, to undertake service of process for Ms Jones and Ms Keen so that Mr Pesutto was not served twice. As we do not have Mr Pesutto’s personal address, we could only undertake to serve him in his place of work.”