The Sauce: Dr Fiona Martin quitting the Liberal Party over how it treats women

Concerns about how the Liberal Party treats women have prompted ex-federal MP Dr Fiona Martin to tear up her party membership, pollies are getting free EV chargers. Read this and more in The Sauce.

Concerns about how the Liberal Party treats women have prompted ex-federal MP Dr Fiona Martin to tear up her party membership.

While Dr Martin, who famously blindsided then-prime minister Scott Morrison in parliament over religious-freedom laws after she crossed the floor with four other Liberal MPs to protect trans students from discrimination, would not comment, it is understood her concerns relate to the NSW division of the Liberal Party.

Posting on X, Dr Martin said: “Enough is enough.

“I will not be renewing my membership of the @LiberalAus,” she wrote.

“My decision is based on my experiences within the NSW Liberals Division and as a former Federal Liberal MP in @ParlHouseCBR between 2019-2022.”

Dr Martin – whose partner is Senator Andrew Bragg – would not comment to The Sauce.

However, a Liberal source said there could be “more to come”. Watch this space.

Dr Fiona Martin speaking in the House of Representatives in Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gary Ramage

NO CHARGE

Pollies do get all the perks.

In the case of the federal MPs with electric cars, free access to $2.5m of EV chargers installed in Parliament House.

During a recent senate estimates hearing, it was revealed that 58 EV charging stations had been installed at a cost of about $43,000 a charger – a figure those in the know claim is significantly higher than the average of $6000.

The Sauce understands 48 of the chargers – some yet to be installed – are in the private members of parliament carparks.

Another 10 are in the public carpark, but three have been set aside for government vehicles.

And while the private ones are free to pollies, the ones in the public carpark come at a cost to the user.

A Coalition source also pointed out how the charging stations are “Chinese-made” while accusing the government of not having undertaken a tender process.

The hearing heard how the China-made ones were chosen because Australia had “very little manufacturing capability” when it came to EV charging.

While there were one or two suppliers claiming their products were “made in Australia”, the key components were sourced and imported from China, the hearing was told.

OFFICE COSTS

Former premiers Nick Greiner and Bob Carr cost taxpayers more than $400,000 last financial year in office, car, telephones and staff costs.

A legacy benefit of having been a premier in NSW is post-parliament public support, with the perks including the payment of office rent, electricity, cleaning and even “costs for artworks on loan”.

Access to the benefit changed after Carr left, with the Coalition requiring premiers to have been in the job for five consecutive years to gain the same perks.

Other benefits include payment for staff, including salaries, payroll tax, long service leave and super.

NSW former premier Nick Greiner. Picture: NCA NewsWire

The latest figures show former Liberal premier Greiner – who held the job between 1988 and 1992, when CDs were starting to replace cassettes, billed the public just over $200,000. Greiner had no car costs, with his biggest expense being office rent.

Carr – who was Labor premier from 1995 to 2005 (remember iPods?) – cost taxpayers $213, 300.

Former Labor premier Barrie Unsworth (1986-88) also remains on the list.

But his only expense was a $44 car transport bill.

TRUE BELIEVER

His team may be coming last, but that didn’t stop Anthony Albanese wearing a Souths Sydney tie in parliament last week.

Anthony Albanese, picture with Rabbitoh’s co-owner Russell Crowe, is still showing is true colours, despite the Bunnies being bottom of the ladder.

The appearance of the red and green colours subjected the Prime Minister to considerable sledging from his colleagues, given the Bunnies’ lowly position on the NRL table.

However, Albo pointed out how the team had beaten Parramatta last week, declaring: “A win is a win”.

And in a show of defiance, the PM is threatening to give the tie another airing after the bye this weekend, which will give Souths another much needed two points.

SPOTTED

Skills Minister Steve Whan cruising around in his red Jag, complete with his photo on the door, at the Queanbeyan Park Tennis Club on Saturday.

Steve Whan has been cruising around in his red jag. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Adam Yip

Whan was there for the official opening of the newly-surfaced courts.

The club apparently also has the only dedicated pickleball courts in the region.

Originally published as The Sauce: Dr Fiona Martin quitting the Liberal Party over how it treats women