‘Dearest Jacinta I have considered your levy … it’s bulls**t’: Liberal MPs linked to cow poo parcel dumped at Premier’s office

A Liberal MP accused of being behind a prank where cow poo was dumped at Jacinta Allan’s office says the only way to send a message to Labor politicians is by “delivering a bulls**t cake direct to their door”.

Cow manure was inside the prettily packaged parcel dumped at Jacinta Allan’s office. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Two Liberal MPs have found themselves in the middle of a steaming controversy amid allegations they helped orchestrate a poo parcel prank on Premier Jacinta Allan.

And one of the MPs has defended it as a “harmless stunt”.

Warrandyte MP Nicole Werner and upper house MP Bev McArthur were on Tuesday referred to the parliament’s presiding officers after a box containing cow manure was left at Ms Allan’s office.

The see-through parcel was gift wrapped and contained a note saying: “Dearest Jacinta, I have considered your levy and here’s my feedback, it’s bullshit.”

The message was signed “Brutus and family”.

The pretty parcel of cow manure left at Ms Allan’s office. Picture: Supplied

The parcel was addressed to ‘Dearest Jacinta’. Picture: Getty

Two Liberal MPs allegedly helped orchestrate the poo parcel prank.

When questioned about the surprise parcel, Mrs McArthur told the Herald Sun the only way regional Victorians could get a message to Labor politicians was by “delivering a bullshit cake direct to their door”.

“Labor MPs are acting like they’ve never seen cow shit before – maybe they don’t get out of Melbourne much?” she said.

“If they’re genuinely more upset about a pile of manure than the total mess they’ve made of their budget and this state, it’s no wonder Victoria’s going broke.

“Labor MPs should spend more time listening to their constituents, and less time complaining about this harmless stunt.”

The parcel contained cow manure. Picture: Zoe Phillips

The Herald Sun has confirmed the parcel was left as part of a wider protest over the government’s controversial new fire services levy that passed parliament last week.

Manager of government business, Mary-Anne Thomas, referred both Ms Werner and Mrs McArthur to the parliament’s presiding officers alleging they were behind the prank.

She accused them of bringing the parliament into disrepute.

“At approximately 11:50am on the 20th of May, Mrs McArthur and the Member for Warrandyte escorted a member of the public into a pass holder-only area of the precinct to leave an offensive prop outside the sliding doors of the Premier’s office,” she said.

“The members were accompanied by a staff member with a camera who directed the member of the public to leave the prop while taking photos of the incident.

Victorian Liberal MP Bev McArthur. Picture: Ian Currie

“The accompanying staff member also took unauthorised photos of a member of the Premier’s office, who was seated at the front desk while this event was occurring.

“The staff member has indicated that being exposed to this incident and being filmed without permission has understandably made them feel uncomfortable and unsafe in their workplace.

“I do not believe that the member of the public who accompanied the members would have been able to get the prop through parliament security and I would allege that it was Mrs McArthur or the Member for Warrandyte who brought the prop onto the precinct for this stunt.”

Security concerns were also raised about a recording that could show the Premier’s office, security arrangements or her staff.

Nicole Werner is the state Liberal MP for Warrandyte.

Opposition Leader Brad Battin failed to condemn the two MPs allegedly behind a dirty stunt and refused to say whether he had privately disciplined Mrs McArthur or Ms Werner, who are both factional allies and were crucial to his leadership challenge late last year.

Mr Battin said he didn’t have any knowledge of the stunt because he was on the front steps of parliament protesting the government’s emergency services levy.

“It’s not something I would have done,” he said.

“But I will focus on the fact that I have spoken to so many farmers who are so angry out in the community.

“If this (stunt) changes the message and gets them (government) out to speak to them, then maybe that’s a positive.”

Mr Battin said senior government Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, who referred the two MPs to the privileges committee, should focus on the concerns of farmers in her Macedon electorate. Premier Jacinta Allan slammed the two Liberal MPs linked to the poo package on Wednesday, calling the behaviour “disgraceful” and ripping into Mr Battin for failing to condemn the stunt.

“I say disgraceful because can you imagine coming into any workplace, coming into a hospital, dumping cow manure on a colleague’s desk, going into a factory and dumping that in the tea room?” she said.

Ms Allan also claimed that the prank had compromised the safety of her staff.

“I spoke to the staff member involved, and she told me how she felt unsafe, how her workplace safety was compromised because a couple of Liberal politicians acted in a disgraceful, inappropriate way in a workplace, in the parliamentary workplace,” she said.

“I condemn that behaviour.”

“You know who hasn’t condemned that behaviour? The leader of the opposition, Brad Battin, hasn’t condemned that behaviour.

“I call on him to either condemn this behaviour, or is he going to back his backers who did this disgraceful act?”

Originally published as ‘Dearest Jacinta I have considered your levy … it’s bulls**t’: Liberal MPs linked to cow poo parcel dumped at Premier’s office