We’re safe and mainstream, say Vic Libs

Tara Cosoleto, Cassandra Morgan and Karen Sweeney | November 21, 2022

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has issued a plea to voters to believe in his “safe” and “centrist” party, following days of damaging claims about extremist candidates. 

Premier Daniel Andrews has refused to apologise after Deputy Liberal Leader David Southwick slammed Labor for using the term Nazi to describe some candidates running for parliament.

Mr Andrews said it was extremists and the Liberal Party preferencing them who ought to apologise.

“They’re decisions that the Liberal Party have made. I can’t explain them,” Mr Andrews told reporters on Monday.

“It should be a contest of ideas, not a contest of competing calls for violent acts.”

Mr Southwick said it was “completely inappropriate and desperate” of the government to use the term Nazi and if there were candidates running with those views, then they should be named.

Anti Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich agreed, saying the word should only be used when discussing the Holocaust.

Via Twitter, Federal Labor MP Josh Burns on Monday singled out independent candidate Tylere Baker-Pearce running in the seat of Narre Warren South who has published multiple photos and memes to social media pages seemingly depicting antisemitic sentiments.

Labor has preferenced the Liberals’ Annette Samuel fourth ahead of Mr Baker-Pearce, compared to Labor’s Gary Maas being listed as eighth by his opponent, behind the independent’s fifth.

At a campaign luncheon on Monday, Mr Guy said his message to voters was clear: his party was safe, sensible, centrist and mainstream.

“We have mainstream values like fixing the health system, like dealing with cost of living pressures, like giving you the fresh start you need,” Mr Guy later told reporters.

“They’re not extreme policies. They’re mainstream policies.”

Liberal Party upper house candidate Renee Heath, who was revealed to be connected to the controversial City Builders Church when she was pre-selected, has told Nine she has engaged lawyers to assess whether she has grounds to make a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission.

She denied supporting gay conversion therapy and said suggesting otherwise was “completely false and misleading”.

Mr Guy backed Liberal candidate Timothy Dragan at the weekend after recordings of him making derogatory comments regarding Indigenous Australians, abortion and climate change were leaked.

The Liberal Leader said he accepted Mr Dragan’s apology and there would be no further action taken.

National Party candidate for Narracan Shaun David Gilchrist, 47, died unexpectedly at Rawson on Sunday – six days out from the state election.

He was due in the County Court on November 30 accused of rape, AAP has confirmed.

Police were called to bushland about 4.15pm and will prepare a report for the coroner, but the death is not being treated as suspicious.

Labor’s candidate for Richmond has also been embroiled in controversy with her family claiming she is not Aboriginal. 

Lauren O’Dwyer has described herself as a proud Yorta Yorta woman throughout her election campaign, but a member of her family told the ABC she holds no such ties.

In a statement, the candidate asserted her heritage, and said it was unconfirmed – like it is for many Aboriginal Australians – until she was in her early twenties. 

“Since then, I have spent many years recapturing what was lost and building connection to community,” Ms O’Dwyer said. 

“The whole concept of Identity Papers is complex and contested – but I do have them.”

The papers were obtained by Ms O’Dwyer’s mother on her behalf from the the Njernda Aboriginal Corporation in Echuca and verify she is of Aboriginal descent, she said.

Mr Andrews said cultural identity is “a very complex thing” and referred reporters to Ms O’Dwyer on the matter.

“She’s been very, very clear about who she is and where she comes from,” the Premier said. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a surprise visit to join Mr Andrews on Monday’s election campaign, thanking volunteers in Caulfield.

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