Young LNP boss claims he’s the ‘fall guy’ over racist video

A former Young LNP regional boss who quit the party over inappropriate social media posts says a racist video that triggered his downfall had been approved as “good stuff” and he was then “thrown under the bus”.

A FORMER Young LNP regional boss who quit the party over inappropriate social media posts says a racist video that triggered his downfall had been approved as “good stuff”.

Barclay McGain, 18, resigned from the Party on June 10, ending moves to expel him, but claims he became the “fall guy” for a video he uploaded to the Young LNP Gold Coast Facebook page on December 3.

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Mr McGain, who was Young LNP Gold Coast chairman at the time, admitted he produced, edited and distributed the video, which shows him smirking at a racist comment, but says it was approved by a member of the state executive before it was uploaded. The Courier-Mail has seen a text message chain in which he asks Young LNP president Nelson Savanh to “take a quick look” at the video before it is posted.

Queensland LNP Leader Deb Frecklington with then-Gold Coast Young LNP chair Barclay McGain. Picture: Supplied

Mr Savanh initially said he was too busy but later sent a text that said, “Good stuff mate” followed by two thumbs-up emojis.

Mr Savanh referred The Courier-Mail to an LNP spokesman who said, “Mr McGain chose to resign from the party and the matter is now closed”.

There is no formal approval process for videos and posts on the LNP’s semi-autonomous sites such as the Young LNP Gold Coast Facebook page.

It’s understood that soon after the video was posted, Mr Savanh, who is from the LNP’s moderate wing, told a senior member of the LNP executive he had not watched the video when he replied to Mr McGain’s text message.

Mr McGain was still suspended earlier this month when two more inappropriate social media posts were referred to the LNP.

In one post, he called suspended UQ student Drew Pavlou “Mein Fuhrer” in response to a parody of Adolf Hitler movie Downfall. A fresh image also surfaced of Mr McGain holding a money-box adorned with a racially insensitive figure.

The new images led to Mr McGain’s sacking as a part-time electorate officer for Bowman MP Andrew Laming and his immediate resignation from the party.

He said he was speaking out because he had followed the protocols, but had been thrown “under a bus”.

“It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting after I had effectively taken one for the team and withheld information from the media, entirely for the benefit of the party and to my own detriment and public humiliation,” he said.

Originally published as Young LNP boss claims he’s the ‘fall guy’ over racist video