More lewd Liberals nabbed in salacious social media scandal
The Liberal Party has been labelled “year 9 boys” as two more MPs were found following with racy social media accounts.
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The Liberal Party’s salacious social media scandal has widened, with two more MPs found to be following racy models.
Former leader Michael O’Brien and shadow education Minister David Hodgett were following accounts flooded with bikini and lingerie photographs.
It comes after the Herald Sun exposed the social media habits of three Liberal MPs and four candidates, including shadow treasurer David Davis, on Tuesday.
Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas compared the Liberal Party to “year 9 schoolboys” following the revelations that senior party figures were following models with OnlyFans pages and Twitter accounts titled @WhoresofYore.
“What we’ve seen from David Davis and others is the behaviour that one would expect from year nine school boys, not from people who want to hold important roles in the government here in Victoria,” Ms Thomas said.
“That the shadow Treasurer — the man who in less than a fortnight could be the Treasurer of the state — is using, scrolling through accounts like these says everything that you need to know about him and the Liberal Party.”
Liberal leader Matthew Guy repeatedly dodged questions about his views on his MPs and candidates’ social media habits in Warragul.
Local candidate Wayne Farnham was nowhere to be seen at Mr Guy’s events on Tuesday after the Herald Sun revealed he followed Centrefold Gallery — a website promoting strippers — on his personal Facebook page.
Mr Davis and shadow environment Minister James Newbury both cleansed their social media accounts after the sleaze file exposed their social media followings.
However, former leader Mr O’Brien’s official account was still following pro-tennis player Camila Giorgi on Tuesday, according to screenshots.
Ms Giorgi, who has 646,000 followers, posts photographs of herself wearing lingerie draped across a bed and doing her makeup in her underwear.
Images on her page also include glamour shots taken at beachside locations.
Mr O’Brien was also previously following a former Love Island contestant, according to screenshots supplied by women’s rights activists.
However, that account was not being followed late on Tuesday afternoon when checks were made by the Herald Sun.
Mr Hodgett, who recently said he would take “cyber safety” out of school curriculum if the Liberal Party was elected, was following Kindly Myers.
A “professional smokeshow” and “army veteran”, Ms Myers regularly posts bikini photographs with suggestive poses.
Premier Daniel Andrews refused to comment on the scandal and would not say if he thought it was appropriate for MPs to follow the social media accounts.
“Matters as to the culture of the Liberal Party are a matter for the Liberal Party,” Mr Andrews said on Tuesday.
“You should probably have a chat to them about culture in their party.”
Mr Guy refused to answer questions about the sleaze files.
“Sorry I’ve got absolutely no intention of going over who liked what on social media,” he said.
“You can run all the commentary you like, that’s up to you, I know that’s your job but my job is to provide a sensible vision for Victoria.”
Asked how he was going to handle the scandal, Mr Guy said: “I just don’t think Victorians are really interested in that kind of commentary”.
“If you guys want to run discussions of it, I understand that’s your job, my job is to provide an alternative vision for the state that is around the next four years and beyond.”
A Liberal Party campaign spokesperson said: “It is verging on the ridiculous when people are criticised for following on social media a female tennis player ranked number 67 in the world.
“What Victorians care about is about having a working health system, Victoria’s spiralling debt and how to manage the cost of living.”
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