NSW Liberal Party offering takeaway coffee cups as membership perk
Liberal Party faithful are shaking their heads in embarrassment after the NSW Division released its list of membership perks: keep cups and ‘yet another debrief on another failure’.
NSW
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After an election landslide you would think the Liberals might be having a long hard look at their people problems.
But even party faithful have been left shaking their heads in embarrassment after the NSW Division released its list of membership perks.
In a bid to attract new followers, the Liberal Party has spruiked a line of custom coffee cups or “tumblers” for members who join up in 2025-2026.
But not everyone gets a tumbler, which the party has pitched as its “annual supporter gift”.
A basic membership will only score you a Liberal Party card, along with invitations to the annual Christmas Drinks and party council meetings.
You’ll need to shell out a few extra hundred dollars for the Gold membership, which includes a small tumbler (“colour received will be random”), a Liberal Party lapel pin and a “priority” invitation to the state convention.
If followers are feeling extra committed, they can sign up for the platinum membership and secure themselves a slightly larger CamelBak Vacuum tumbler, stamped with the Liberal Party logo.
The “premium” coffee cup, also known as the Ocean Bottle Vacuum tumbler, has been reserved for the “party patron” membership tier, alongside an invitation to a suite of events including the election strategy presentation, official election night function and post-election campaign debrief.
Perhaps the cups have been provided for members to drown their sorrows in if the year ahead is anything like the past 12 months.
But the tumblers don’t come cheap. According to membership prices for 2024-2025, the basic tier will set party faithful back $100 a year, a gold membership costs $275 and platinum membership was priced at $400 per person.
Party patrons were expected to shell out just under a grand for their membership – or $990 – to receive their premium tumbler and complimentary invitations to the riveting events calendar.
One long-time Liberal member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the latest membership benefits made them “want to leave the party”.
“The Liberal Party used to be the party for nation-shaping policy – now we are gifting tumblers,” they said.
“For the price of your soul, you can … sip lukewarm tea at the Election Strategy Presentation – a masterclass lecture on why we keep losing,” another member said.
“Who needs bold policy reform when you can score a branded coffee cup and a ‘priority invitation’ to yet another debrief on another failure.
“It’s quite ironic isn’t it, as well as these cheap reusable cups, they’ll give us a lecture on why we keep reusing the wrong ideas.”
When asked about why the NSW Liberals were selling their membership off branded drinking merch, a spokesman said the party was just trying to say thanks.
“To thank our members for their ongoing support the division is providing them with a great gift to help get their mornings started well with (a) high quality Liberal-branded stainless vacuum insulated coffee tumbler,” the spokesman said.
“The response from members has been overwhelmingly positive on the party’s gift for their support, in addition to the other complimentary invitations that different tiers receive.”
SUSSAN COPYCAT CLAIMS
The copycat curse continues as yet another Australian brand is under fire from claims it replicated a design from a small business.
Gold Coast-based influencer Lily Brown has hit out at Australian clothing chain Sussan for allegedly copying a robe design from her business, Chille.
“I’ve decided it’s not flattering,” Brown wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.
“It’s unfair, rude and f...ing annoying now to be completely honest.
“Stop ripping off small brands, with your hundreds of stores nationwide AND internationally … For me our Snug robes are my whole life.”
The design in question, part of Brown’s signature Snug collection, appears to share striking similarities with Sussan’s BCNA Floral Hooded Robe – including the same colours, texture, and floral design.
“I’ve continually invested and reinvested back into the business since day one. Putting everything on the line constantly, and taking huge financial risks,” she continued. “I literally moved three hours away from my warehouse to save money so I can continue to support my business.”
The 27-year-old first found fame on YouTube before launching her loungewear brand in 2021.
This is not the first time Brown has claimed her luxury robes were “duped”, with the influencer calling out Bras N Things which allegedly copied her robe design in March.
“This is just another slap in the face, specifically after Bras N Things launched their snug dupe in March, after I literally shot a campaign for them and promoted their brand on my socials two weeks before they had this style on the shop floor,” she added.
“I know my Snug robes are low key viral, but tell your design teams to look somewhere else for their inspo. It’s lame.”
Brown’s robes sell for $159, while Sussan’s version retails for $79.95, and Bras N Things’ robe sells for $69.99.
Both Sussan and Brown have been contacted for comment.
Outside of social media, Brown lit up Aussie screens last year when she joined forces with her boyfriend Jett Kenny on the celebrity edition of The Amazing Race Australia.
Brown and Kenny, an ironman champion, have been in a relationship since 2022 and moved in together last year.
GUY WOULD RATHER BREAK A LEG
Guy Sebastian says he would have preferred to break his leg than the recent football mishap that saw him rupture his achilles tendon.
The celebrated singer underwent surgery after the injury at a local AFL game for the Masala Dandenong Thirds in May.
“It was a bad one to do,” he told Confidential.
“I would have way rathered snapped a bone than done this because a bone heals in eight weeks and then you get on with your life.
“There is a year recovery with the achilles.
“I was doing something I love, it is just I was stupid. I had too many tickets on my own body and not realising that I am at an age now that you can’t not play AFL for more than a decade and then jump on and not warm up properly.”
Sebastian, 43, covered his cast with a black sock as he stepped out for a playback session for the August 8 release of his 10th studio album, 100 Times Around The Sun.
“I’ve discovered that I don’t need to just let my cold toes dangle out,” he said, looking forward to ditching crutches when his cast is replaced by a boot in a few weeks.
MUSH ADO ABOUT NOTHING?
Nothing unites politicians from across the aisle like a bit of drama on Macquarie St, and The Daily Telegraph’s discovery of psychedelic mushrooms in parliament’s gardens this week set group chats into overdrive.
The chief question among our state’s pollies was how Legalise Cannabis MP Jeremy Buckingham – who first spotted the magic stash – was able to identify the ’shrooms in question.
Asked whether he was concerned someone may have planted the crop, Opposition Leader Mark Speakman suggested that “a few usual suspects” may have been to blame.
We’re not sure who Speakman was referring to, but we’d bet good money he was talking about someone from the upper house.
Buckingham swears it was not him, and according to our expert, the mushrooms most likely grew naturally, being “ubiquitous” in Australian mulch.
Not to be outdone, on Wednesday Liberal health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane even told this correspondent that she had a good beef wellington recipe to share. We hate to break it to Sloane, but the special mushies are all gone.
Parliament’s gardeners did their usual weeding on Tuesday, leaving no trace of the psychedelic stash.
The samples we collected are now safely in the hands of law enforcement, after two bemused constables came to collect them for disposal.
WINTER SLEEPOUT WINNER
It’s not a competition, but Paul Nicolaou, the executive director at Business Sydney, easily leads the fundraisers for the upcoming 20th Vinnies CEO Sleepout.
So far, he has raised $96,000, taking his tally to a remarkable $552,000 over five years.
This year, he’s been assisted by $10,000 from hospitality tsar Justin Hemmes. Among his other donors are Helen Coonan, Tony Shepherd, Bruce McWilliam, John Symond, Sally Loane, Cooper Cronk, Simon Poidevin, Anthony Minichiello and Peter Achterstraat.
Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure boss Mark Bruzzone sits in second place currently with supporters donating $72,000.
The NSW sleepout event next Thursday night, at the White Bay Cruise Terminal, has a $3m goal, with the funds helping to provide accommodation and food to the homelessness.
MODEL MENTOR
It was a full-circle moment for top Australian model Jordan Barrett this week.
The world’s highest paid male model shared an image hanging out with fashion icon Donatella Versace at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
British male model Kit Butler was also there, seen in the corporate suite with Barrett and Versace at the coveted gig.
Barrett has credited Donatella with giving him his career as she picked him up when the Aussie was a fresh-faced 15-year-old.
He subsequently went on to become a global superstar and fronted Versace campaigns, alongside other major brands like Tom Ford, Balmain, and Moschino.
Barrett has also appeared on the cover of British Vogue with Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne, both of whom have mentored him.
“Kate Moss has always been a mentor of mine,” he told Confidential in April.
The 28-year-old spends much of the year travelling the world and lives between Los Angeles, London and New York.
Originally published as NSW Liberal Party offering takeaway coffee cups as membership perk
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