Signs come down on former Liberal Jessica Whelan’s campaign

Teams of Liberal volunteers are unwinding the campaign of former candidate Jessica Whelan.

LIBERAL volunteers are unwinding the campaign of former candidate Jessica Whelan.

Ms Whelan was disendorsed and quit the party last week after Islamophobic comments she made on social media were made public.

She has admitted making all but one of the comments — which she says was doctored.

WHELAN SAYS SHE CAN STILL WIN LYONS

LIBERALS URGED TO BACK NATIONALS

EDITORIAL: JESSICA WHELAN MIGHT SURVIVE THIS

Party state director Sam McQuestin said Ms Whelan’s signs were coming down and the party had advertised in favour of National Party candidate Deanna Hutchinson.

“Good progress is being made in removing the former candidate’s signs, with a number of teams specifically dedicated to the task,” Mr McQuestin said.

“Lyons covers roughly half the state and this will take some time.

“We note that some of the former candidate’s signs have been rebadged. This is a matter for the former candidate and the property owners hosting the signs.”

Former Liberal candidate Jessica Whelan, centre, at Agfest last week. Picture: GARY RAMAGE

Because her disendorsement came late in the campaign, Ms Whelan remains on the ballot paper.

“Now there is no longer an endorsed Liberal candidate in Lyons, Liberal supporters are being urged to give their No 1 vote to the Nationals’ Deanna Hutchinson,” Mr McQuestin said.

Attempts to speak with Ms Hutchinson about her candidacy were deflected to the National Party’s headquarters. The Liberal Party has placed half-page how-to-vote advertisements in all three Tasmanian papers on Tuesday.

The advertisements suggested Liberal voters give their first preference vote to the National Party and their second preference vote to the United Australia Party.

“Because of the unusual circumstances in Lyons, the Party has made no recommendation about how voters should direct their remaining preferences,” Mr McQuestin said.

Labor’s Federal Franklin MP Julie Collins said a radio interview by Ms Whelan on Monday raised further questions.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week said he had been lied to about Ms Whelan’s social media comments. Ms Whelan on Monday said she had not spoken to the PM about the subject.

“The Tasmanian Liberals should also come clean on who exactly lied to the Prime Minister about Ms Whelan’s social media history,” Ms Collins said.

“When Ms Whelan was asked about who had lied to the Prime Minister, she claimed it was not her.

“Does this mean it was a representative of the Tasmanian Liberals who lied to the Prime Minister?”