Kelly O’Dwyer says Liberals now viewed as ‘homophobic, anti-women, climate-change deniers’
Cabinet minister Kelly O’Dwyer has told colleagues the Liberals are widely regarded as “homophobic, anti-women, climate-change deniers” as a post-election crisis meeting of federal MPs triggered deep divisions in Canberra.
Victoria State Election
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Cabinet minister Kelly O’Dwyer told colleagues the Liberals are widely regarded as “homophobic, anti-women, climate-change deniers” during a post-election crisis meeting of federal Victorian Liberal MPs on Monday.
The almost 90-minute “robust” meeting between Victorian federal MPs, in the company of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, came amid warnings of an electorate wipe out based on the Andrews Government’s massive victory at the weekend.
Ms O’Dwyer launched a fierce criticism of the party’s officials and laid the blame on “ideological” warriors who had recruited members from conservative religious groups in an attempt to hijack the party’s positions on social issues.
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The Herald Sun understands Ms O’Dwyer, the Federal Industrial Relations Minister, told the room “it’s not who we are as Liberals” but the “crusades” of some MPs had reinforced that view.
The Liberals suffered major swings against the party in many inner-city electorates including Ms O’Dwyer’s seat of Higgins.
It is understood she and a handful of colleagues also demanded the resignation of Victorian Liberal President Michael Kroger and State Director Nick Demiris during the private meeting.
They say long running legal action against the Cormack Foundation, led by Mr Kroger, had been a distraction and hurt campaigning preparations.
But a hard core group of MPs are standing by Mr Kroger as party president, saying he given private assurances he did not want to continue in the role beyond next March.
Anti-Kroger MPs said it would be “too late” if Mr Kroger stepped down in March because it would fall just weeks ahead of a scheduled federal election.
But it is understood the room agreed it needed to find agreed a “consensus candidate” to ensure a smooth transition and end a bitter internal feuding.
Mr Kroger rejected calls to resign this morning, telling Sky News “we’re too sophisticated down here for that petty nonsense”.
Mr Demeris told the Herald Sun any suggestion he should resign was “rubbish”,
Ms O’Dwyer would not comment when contacted by the Herald Sun, directing inquires to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
He said in a statement: “We had a good, honest discussion about lessons to be learned from the State campaign. As a group we will continue to be focused on delivering for our local communities.”
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It’s understood many MPs raised state Labor’s infrastructure package, with La Trobe MP Jason Wood and Chris Crewther urging the federal government to do a better job selling its multi-billion input into those programs, such as the Monash widening project.
Liberal Senator Jane Hume is understood to have told the room the state Liberals’ education policy was nothing more than dumping Safe Schools and federal funding for education was a message the Liberals needed to embrace.
Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge, Education Minister Dan Tehan and Deakin MP Michael Sukkar are understood to have stressed the need for unity within the parliamentary party.
Goldstein MP Tim Wilson said the party had lost its heartland in the state election, arguing many Liberal voters want action on climate change.
“I sat there on polling booths and every second person either gave me deadly silence, a very cold deadly silence,” Mr Wilson told Sky News.
“Or there was people mentioning energy, climate or the deposing of the (former) prime minister.”
Senator Scott Ryan said the party was losing “its electoral base” who didn’t want conservative views “rammed down their throat”.
“Our voters sent us a message and that is some of the noise that comes out of this place (Canberra) and some of the noise that comes out of commentators about what it means to be a Liberal, well Liberal voters want us to focus on their issues.”
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