Under siege Deves makes a hasty rally exit

Embattled Liberal candidate Katherine Deves was whisked away from a Liberal Party rally in Sydney to avoid media scrutiny, while Scott Morrison pledged to crack down on internet safety for young people.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison pledged to crack down on internet safety for young people. Picture: Jason Edwards

Embattled Liberal candidate for Warringah, Katherine Deves, was whisked away from a Liberal Party rally in Sydney to avoid media scrutiny over her past online comments about transgender people.

It came shortly after Scott Morrison pledged to crack down on internet safety for young people through a $23m eSafety schools package and $10m for victim support alongside Communications Minister Paul Fletcher and high-profile media personality Erin Molan.

Amid repeated denials from the Prime Minister that Ms Deves’ campaign was being heavily managed by Liberal Party HQ, the Warringah candidate was escorted by a security detail at the rally’s conclusion.

She remained tight-lipped despite heavy questioning from journalists.

With speculation that Ms Deves’ candidacy selection was made to win over conservative voters in outer-suburban seats, Mr Morrison turned his re-election campaign to western Sydney on Sunday where he is hoping to take the Labor-held electorate of Parramatta and retain the Liberal-held seat of Reid.

The Coalition’s pitch to suburban voters comes as it attempts to fight off a number of Climate 200 backed independents targeting key inner city seats, with Josh Frydenberg conceding his fight against independent candidate Monique Ryan will come down to the wire.

In a large function room in Sydney’s Homebush stadium in Fiona Martin’s seat of Reid, Mr Morrison was greeted by a sea of party faithful donning blue T-shirts plastered with the slogan “Strong economy stronger future” with the backdrop of a giant Australian flag.

Introduced by an animated Foreign Minister Marise Payne, after she roused the crowd while AC/DC blasted through the speakers, Mr Morrison spruiked the Coalition’s track record on the economy. The rally was attended by several senior Liberal figures including NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, North Sydney MP Trent Zimmerman, Liberal senator Andrew Bragg and Liberal candidate for Parramatta Maria Kovacic, Ms Martin and the Prime Minister’s wife Jenny.

Galvanising the troops during his third rally in little over a week, Mr Morrison attacked the independents for not being upfront with who they would support in the event of a hung parliament, warning of the “chaos” they would bring.

“The left wing and the right wing and the unions and the independents in the parliament: that’s a complete recipe for chaos.”