‘I’m no taxpayer-funded call girl’: Lib staffer Tammy Candy fires back at trolls
SHE’S the jaw dropping Liberal staffer who critics labelled “a taxpayer funded escort”. But soon PhD candidate Tammy Candy will be able to tell her online trolls that they can just call her Dr Candy.
Confidential
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SHE’S the jaw-dropping Liberal staffer critics labelled “a taxpayer-funded escort”.
But soon PhD candidate Tammy Candy will be able to tell her online trolls that they can just call her Dr Candy.
A pro-life, Russian Orthodox Christian who admits she “hopes and prays’’ Scott Morrison will one day be Prime Minister, the part-time model and political campaigner is on track to complete a doctorate in politics at the University of Canberra.
Detailing a vile campaign of online abuse, the 27-year-old says she would never be a traditional “pearl necklace’’ Liberal Party staffer.
“A lot of young women in politics think they need to emulate that stereotype to prove they are legitimate but I’ve always marched to the beat of my own drum,’’ Ms Candy says.
“I’ve never identified with the classic stereotype of the young Liberal wearing a pearl necklace and royal blue. I’m a true libertarian. We can’t all be private school-educated Liberals.’’
Ms Candy, who recently volunteered on Rand Paul’s campaign in the United States, says she has knocked back several offers to pose for @BoobsForRand, an Twitter account urging women to offer their support for the US Republican candidate by posting topless photographs.
In Australia, she’s worked for Liberal and National MPs including Queensland’s George Christensen, who praised her for her political research skills, and posed for selfies with Tony Abbott and broadcaster Alan Jones.
But she was shocked and appalled by the level of vitriol from left-wing trolls online who accused of being paid to go on dates with her friend and former Queensland MP Neil Symes.
“They called me a taxpayer-funded call girl on (federal MP) George Christensen’s Facebook wall.’’
In another ugly incident, a drunk female Labor staffer accused her of wearing “hooker boots’’ while she was chatting with disgraced Labor MP Craig Thomson at an event.
“She came like a raging bull at us. She said I was one of his call girls. She was yelling at me that I was wearing hooker boots,’’ Ms Candy says.
“It’s really sexist stuff. These are people who are supposed to be pro-women from the Left.
“They said Neil Symes pays me to spend time with him when we’re friends.
“This is against the law. It’s cyber bullying but I haven’t pursued it.’’
Ms Candy’s social media accounts have also drawn bipartisan support with some of her followers including former cabinet minister Eric Abetz and several Labor MPs including David Feeney, Craig Emerson, Matt Thistlethwaite and Ed Husic.
In the US, she’s caught the eye of Republican strategist Karl Rove, who follows her on Twitter.
She recently returned to Australia after volunteering for Rand Paul’s failed tilt for the Republican presidential nomination,
Her volunteering stint even captured the interest of the US media with the Daily Beast website suggesting she was struggling to keep her balance in her “bedazzled platform heels’.’
“I don’t teeter. I can walk in my shoes,’’ she says.
“There’s actually a candy store in Canberra called Dr Candy and I’m like, Oh God, that’s my future.’’
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