The Sauce: Lib Club forum insults Gladys, women and transgender people

The Liberal Party is at pains to distance itself from the Macq Liberal Club (not absolute) Freedom Forum after members insulted Premier Gladys Berejiklian (“repulsive”) and women (“inferior gender of the species”), plus others, on the chat page.

It’s called the Macq Liberal Club (not absolute) Freedom Forum, and its 300 or so members include a former NSW Liberal government adviser, a recent State Liberal candidate and several party members.

But according to the NSW Liberal Party, it has “nothing” to do with them.

Members of the Macquarie University Liberal Club during O Week this year. There’s no suggestion they were involved in the controversial forum posts.

The denial followed the circulation of screen grabs of group chat forums from the page, some obtained by The Sauce.

Among them is a post from the former state government adviser who asked: “Is genocide fine if it is carried out painlessly and humanely?”

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There was also a joke about feminists — “someone who will never have children” — and “transgender animals”.

Another post referred to Premier Gladys Berejiklian as “repulsive” and a “closet socialist”.

The anti-women theme continued with a comment about the “inferior gender of the species”, prompting a member to reply: “I’ll respect them when they can f … ing parallel park.”

A group member and perennial poster who begged to remain anonymous said the Facebook forum originally formed as part of the Macquarie University Liberal Club when its founders
were students.

However it had since grown to include non-students and non-party members, he said.

In defending the posts, he said the content was designed to initiate discussion.

While the NSW Liberal Party claimed the Facebook group had no formal affiliation with the party, it was clear from the stall at O Week last week that the university club wanted the community to believe it had official party ties.

Behind a “Trump wall”, complete with fake barbed wire, leaned a poster of Ms Berejiklian. There was also a NSW Liberals poster, and one attendee wore a party T-shirt.

Given the Nationals’ crackdown on extremist members, the NSW Liberals will be watching closely.

GARDEN PARTY

There was not a malfunctioning microphone in sight when Better Regulation Minister Matt Kean launched his campaign at his home — “please don’t call it a bachelor pad” — in his electorate of Hornsby yesterday.

Matt Kean and Alan Jones at Kean’s campaign launch on Saturday.

The Liberal frontbencher, who is tipped to be promoted to a senior ministry should the Berejiklian government be returned to power on March 23, opted to host the launch with a private garden party instead of at campaign headquarters.

When The Sauce called, Kean was leaf-blowing the lawn ahead of the arrival of guests, including keynote speaker, 2GB talk-show king Alan Jones.

“I’ve been up since 6am tidying up,” he said, with a sense of urgency.

Jones told The Sauce he was happy to launch the campaign of one of the Berejiklian government’s most promising ministers.

“Gladys Berejiklian has a good story to tell but she lacks storytellers,” he said. “Matt Kean is a good storyteller.”

Despite the launch coinciding with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Kean said there
would be no feathers or frocks “although George Michael’s on the play list”.

POWER LUNCH

It has long been the preferred lunching venue of Sydney’s rich and powerful and Friday was no exception. Seated at one corner at the Rockpool Bar and Grill was former Queensland premier turned Australian Banking Association chief executive Anna Bligh.

Former Queensland premier Anna Bligh was just one of the political luminaries dining at Rockpool Bar and Grill on Friday.

Her lunching companion was Labor spinner Eamonn Fitzpatrick, who helped run her 2012 election campaign.

Fitzpatrick, who is now a troubleshooter for Labor leader Michael Daley, was clearly taking advantage of the break in the state political news cycle as a result of the George Pell imprisonment.

Also taking time out from the campaign was Treasurer Dominic Perrottet. The Liberal Party campaign spokesman was dining with the soon-to-be retiring Virgin CEO John Borghetti.

TRAFFIC BURDEN

Given the appointment of former NBN media adviser Holly Hearne, the wife of Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s senior adviser Brad Burden, to a plum $200k-plus job in the Department of Premier and Cabinet, The Sauce wonders how long before the couple might be
on the move.

Holly Hearne and Brad Burden. Picture: Facebook

Prior to the appointment in July last year, the couple moved into a $2.3 million home with views and a pool in Balgowlah Heights after selling up in Neutral Bay for almost the same price.

Burden at the time told news.com.au that the couple had wanted a pool for their son.

But Hearne noted how the pair had made a “compromise” by now having to travel across the Spit Bridge.

Given the lucrative gigs, it will be no surprise if power couple head back south.

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Originally published as The Sauce: Lib Club forum insults Gladys, women and transgender people