Social media storm over MP’s ‘rat’ post
There are questions over the Liberal Party’s treatment of women after a “completely unedifying” Facebook post from controversial MP Bernie Finn.
Victoria
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Controversial Liberal MP Bernie Finn has again come under fire for an “unedifying” social media post about a female former staffer.
It’s prompted questions about the culture inside the Liberal party, specifically around how women are treated and spoken about.
The post on his personal Facebook page, seen by the Herald Sun, likened the woman to a rat.
“I’m informed the horrid stench in the electorate office is a result of rats,” he wrote.
“Very odd. I thought she left last year.”
Despite a fellow Liberal staffer calling out the criticism as “beyond the pale”, Mr Finn continued his rant about the woman.
“What she’s doing, and has done, is beyond the pale. Treachery of the first order,” he wrote.
The Herald Sun has chosen not to name the woman at the centre of the online attack, but understands she used to work in the office of Opposition Leader Matthew Guy.
Mr Guy on Thursday said he had only seen Mr Finn’s post minutes before attending a press conference and would inquire about who it was about.
“I’m not aware of the circumstances around it but it doesn’t look terribly edifying,” he said.
“It’s just not polite language.”
When questioned whether it related to a staffer who had previously worked in the Opposition’s Spring St office, Mr Guy said he would be following it up.
“It’s completely unedifying and it’s not something I’m endorsing,” he said.
“Yet again, it looks like I’ll be following that up.”
Mr Finn is no stranger to controversy, last month comparing Premier Daniel Andrews to Adolf Hitler.
In September, he provoked outrage by referring to Victoria Police as the “modern incarnation of the Despot’s militia” which included a public backlash from colleagues.
He has also posted on Facebook pro-Trump comments that appeared to support false claims of electoral fraud at the US election.
Mr Guy agreed that he was “sick of answering questions about Bernie Finn”.
He said the outspoken MP had not yet been re-endorsed for the Upper House, with preselections to occur in the new year.
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