Election 2022: Liberal candidate Katherine Deves avoids public scrutiny at local forum

The NSW Liberal candidate who ‘won’t be silenced’ according to Scott Morrison has evaded public scrutiny at a local campaign forum for the second time in a week.

Katherine Deves arrives with campaign adviser James Flynn at the Forestville RSL in Sydney’s north on Friday. Picture: Nikki Short

The NSW Liberal candidate who “won’t be silenced” according to Scott Morrison has evaded public scrutiny at a local campaign forum for the second time in a week, ­refusing to enter a “politics in the pub” event in Sydney’s north until all media was evicted.

Just days after abruptly pulling out of a scheduled community forum in Manly to debate sitting independent Zali Steggall and Greens candidate Kristyn Glanville in the seat of Warringah, ­endorsed Liberal Katherine Deves made a short statement to assembled media on arriving at Forestville RSL Club. She was then rushed inside to speak with party supporters upstairs.

Ms Deves, the Prime Minister’s pick as Liberal candidate for the seat won by Ms Steggall when she defeated Tony Abbott at the 2019 election, is resisting internal party calls to step aside after making strident comments opposed to transgender people competing in women’s sport.

But the Liberal candidate is keeping a low profile, almost invisible publicly since facing pressure to quit.

After arriving in a SUV at the RSL on Friday night, Ms Deves posed for a photo outside and made a brief statement — but only after media inside agreed to leave the building.

Ms Deves refused to answer any questions.

“I have fought for women and children and now I am fighting for Warringah,” she said at the club’s entrance.

“Thank you all for coming along tonight. I am looking forward to campaigning hard over the next four weeks on the issues that affect the people of Warringah.”

Ms Deves was then brushed past journalists and photographers on the arm of her campaign adviser, James Flynn.

She ignored questions including whether she intended to speak publicly during the campaign.

Upstairs there was a minor scuffle involving a Liberal staffer when one man, who claimed he was a local wanting to meet the candidate, tried to enter the Forest Room where the candidate was scheduled to speak. The man was denied entry as a non-Liberal.

The event was billed as “politics in the pub” at which Ms Deves was scheduled to speak with Jason ­Falinski, the Liberal member for the adjoining seat of Mackellar.

Ms Deves continues to retain the support of Mr Morrison, and also NSW Premier Dominic ­Perrottet. But Mr Perrottet’s Treasurer, Matt Kean, and NSW MP Felicity Wilson are among Liberals wanting her disendorsed.

Earlier this week, Mr Morrison supported Ms Deves as “a woman, standing up for women, and girls and their access to fair sport in this country”.

“I’m not going to allow her to be silenced, I’m not going to allow her to be pushed aside as the pile-on comes in to try and silence her,” he said.

Before Ms Deves arrived at the RSL, Ms Steggall campaigned at the nearby Forestville shopping centre with Sophie Scamps, a ­fellow independent running against Mr Falinski in Mackellar.

Ms Steggall told The Weekend Australian that the Liberals had chosen to have a closed-door session, limited to Liberal candidates, and it was not even clear that members of the public could ­attend.

Over the past three years, Ms Steggall said, she had attended many forums and town hall meetings where she opened herself to public scrutiny.

“It’s one of the most important elements of representing our community,” she said.

Dr Scamps said she “firmly ­believed” in being open in the community as an independent candidate, and would be if elected in Mackellar.

“Holding closed-door meetings with select attendees – it’s an echo chamber – you don’t get to hear the real stories and the real concerns,” she said.