Lib candidate blames nerves for ‘error’

Gladys Liu claimed she was an AFL multicultural ambassador during two public debates.

Chisholm Liberal candidate Gladys Liu in Glen Waverley. Picture: David Geraghty

Gladys Liu, the Liberal candidate for the marginal Melbourne seat of Chisholm, has blamed “nerves” for claiming during two public debates held a fortnight apart that she is an AFL multicultural ambassador, despite resigning from the role last year.

Her comments come days after she was forced to defend comments she made in 2016 that Chinese Australians tell her they do not want the next generation “to be destroyed … [by] same-sex, transgender, intergender, all this rubbish.”

Hong Kong born Ms Liu claimed to still be an AFL ambassador when she appeared at an Australian Christian Lobby candidates’ forum last weekend.

Asked about the claim by Perth LGBTIQ publication OUTinPerth earlier this week, she said: “I was a bit nervous on stage and was not aware of this error. Thank you for pointing it out.”

However, it was not the first time Ms Liu had told voters she is currently an AFL multicultural ambassador.

At a Chinese community Chisholm candidates’ forum attended by The Australian on April 14, Ms Liu alluded to the role while answering a question about infrastructure and sporting facilities.

“Nowadays we talk about encouraging people to engage in sports,” Ms Liu said.

“Being the AFL multicultural ambassador, I can tell you how important it is to encourage children to play sport, and not only boys, we are actually encouraging girls to do the same, so we have funding for facilities like upgrading the change rooms.”

Ms Liu also claimed she was an AFL ambassador in a Facebook post on March 30.

Alongside pictures of her meeting with local community members to discuss a redevelopment plan for Box Hill city oval, she wrote: “As an AFL multicultural community ambassador, I fully support local sports clubs in bringing people together.”

A Facebook post by Gladys Liu on March 30.

The Australian understands she also made the claim on her LinkedIn profile, with the listing removed in recent days.

Asked whether nerves had led her to make the false claim at both public events, Ms Liu said in a statement: “I am no longer an AFL Multicultural Community Ambassador.”

A Liberal Party spokesman attributed both claims to nerves.

AFL Victoria engages several hundred Victorians to be voluntary, unpaid multicultural community ambassadors each year.

The AFL confirmed Ms Liu volunteered in the role for four years, before finishing up late last year after being preselected to run for the Liberals in the seat currently held by Liberal-turned-independent Julia Banks.

While the Liberals currently hold Chisholm with a notional 3.4 per cent margin, the eastern suburban seat, with a high Chinese population, is high on Labor’s list of Victorian targets.

The Labor candidate is Taiwanese-born former mayor Jennifer Yang.