On Monday, the former defence minister published a statement on her Facebook page declaring she would “not be nominating as a candidate for another term as a Liberal Senator for Western Australia.”

“For forty years I have proudly served my nation in the Army, in the Liberal Party, in defence industry, in Parliament and in Government,” she explained. “In my career after the Senate, I will continue to serve, but in new ways.”

Reynolds was elected to the Senate for Western Australia in 2014, and re-elected in 2016 and 2019. Prior to that, she’d spent more than a decade holding vice-president and treasury positions at various local WA Liberal Party divisions. 

Her first cabinet role came in mid-2019, serving under the Morrison government as Minister for Defence Industry. Over the next several years, she would serve in other portfolios, including Minister for Emergency Management, Minister for Government Services, Minister for Defence and Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. 

In her ‘Statement on Preselection’ published yesterday, Reynolds described her years serving in cabinet as “some of the most challenging times in our Nation’s recent history.”

She noted that being preselected and elected to the Senate was “a great honour and a privilege few Australians are afforded.”

“This is my tenth year in the Senate and my passion and commitment to my State and to my Nation remains as strong as ever.”

She went on to say it was “rare” for her to be in a position “to choose the time and circumstances of your departure,” and that her decision to leave politics was made “after considerable reflection of what is behind me and the opportunities that are now ahead of me.”

“Just as the health of our democracy can never be taken for granted, neither can the health of political parties – both must be constantly renewed and strengthened. I joined the Liberal Party over 35 years ago and my respect for, and belief in, the principles and values it was established on have only deepened over time.”

Addressing her party directly, she said that she “owe[s] the Liberal Party so much” and that she was “very grateful for the lifelong friendships I have made in the Party and for the overwhelming support I continue to receive from WA Liberal Party members and volunteers who have helped me over the last decade.”

In 2021, when she was Defence Minister, Reynolds faced intense scrutiny after former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins alleged she was sexually assaulted by then colleague Bruce Lehrmann in Reynolds’ ministerial office. Higgins was working as a media advisor to Senator Reynolds at the time. When she told Reynolds about the rape, Reynolds was horrified, according to Higgins, and asked her if she intended to go to the police.

“She said, ‘If you choose to go to the police we will support you in that process, but we just need to know ahead of time. We need to know now’,” Higgins told news.com.au.

Lehrmann has continued to deny the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the alleged rape of Higgins.

In 2021, Reynolds publicly apologised to Higgins for calling her “a lying cow” in February of that year and agreed to cover the legal costs.

“[I] did not mean it in the sense it may have been understood,” she wrote in a statement posted on her socials. “Given that the comment was made public, which I never intended, I also want to retract it and unreservedly apologise to Brittany Higgins and acknowledge the hurt and distress it caused to her.” 

Reynolds also promised to make a donation to a sexual assault charity as part of a confidential settlement with her. 

A criminal trial of Bruce Lehrmann on one charge of sexual assault in 2022 was derailed in the ACT Supreme Court following juror misconduct. A second trial was aborted by prosecutors after concerns were raised for Higgins’ mental health.

In late 2022, lawyers for Higgins were reported to be preparing to bring a civil claim against Reynolds and former Attorney-General Michaelia Cash for sexual harassment, discrimination, disability discrimination, negligence and victimisation.

In December, Higgins reached a settlement with the Commonwealth, with “the parties [agreeing] that the terms of the settlement are confidential.” 

In January last year, Reynolds launched a defamation case against Higgins and her fiance, David Sharaz, over tweets her lawyers said caused damage that were “inaccurate and professionally damaging” and that “cannot be underestimated.”

Months later, Reynolds sent a defamation concerns notice to Tanya Plibersek following an interview on Sunrise where Plibersek claimed that the crime to which Higgins was subject to “had been inappropriately investigated, even covered up by her employers.”

Reynolds told Plibersek she could “make amends” and avoid legal action by issuing a signed apology, withdrawing her comments, paying Reynolds’ legal costs and providing an “appropriate sum to compensate my client for the damage caused by the publication” within 28 days.

Reynolds’ statement yesterday did not mention anything pertaining to Higgins or these cases. She did however insist that she would “keep working” with her party to “diversify and strengthen” it. 

“Having achieved more than I set out to when I entered the Senate, there is no perfect time to leave politics, but this is the right time for me and for the WA Liberal Party to provide my successor with the same opportunities it has given me,” she concluded. 

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Simon Birmingham applauded Reynolds’ “distinguished career” in both parliament and the military. 

“From her service in the Australian Army to her tenure as a Liberal Senator for Western Australia, Linda has been a steadfast champion for our nation’s defence, national security, and the advancement of Australia,” he said in a statement.

“Linda’s strength, courage and dignity have been remarked upon by many. I have no doubt that in the years ahead Linda will continue to unwaveringly serve her community and our nation.”

Liberal MP Melissa Price commented on Reynolds’ Facebook post, saying, “Thank you for your service to the party and Senate Linda, although I have no doubt that you will find other avenues to contribute to our great nation. My friend, you will be missed.”

Reynolds will remain in the Senate until her term ends in June 2025.

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The former Prime Minister of Australia revealed he will be taking up several global strategic advisory positions and roles on private boards. His main area of focus will be on the US and the Indo-Pacific region.

Speculation on his retirement has been growing in the last eight months, with Australian media outlets first to break the story of his imminent departure today.

Morrison released a statement shortly after, saying he is looking forward to taking on “new challenges”, as well as spending more time with his family and his Church community.

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“After having served in the parliament for more than sixteen years, including almost 4 years as Prime Minister during a very challenging time for our country, now is the time to move on and enable a new member to be elected who can bring fresh energy and a long term commitment to serving our local community in this role,” Morrison said.

“My family have sacrificed a great deal to support my service to our country and local community as a member of parliament, Minister and Prime Minister. I am grateful for their support, but the time has come for me to return to private life and support my family to pursue their goals and for us to spend more time together as a family.”

The legacy of Scomo

Scott Morrison has been the Liberal Member for Cook since 2007. He became a cabinet minister in 2013 as the immigration minister and held other portfolios in his time, including social services minister and the treasurer. 

Four of his 16 years in politics were served as the Prime Minister of Australia, after he took over as leader of the Liberal party when Malcolm Turnbull resigned.

“It has been my great privilege to represent the wonderful people of Cook for more than sixteen years in our federal parliament,” he said. “The decision to leave is always a difficult one when you have been doing something you love and feel passionate about.”

Morrison’s retirement will trigger a by-election in the Division of Cook, the electorate that covers south of Sydney, including Cronulla, Gymea and Kogarah.

“I hope to see, and invite, a strong field of candidates to bring their experience, passion and dedication to our community, to the job,” Morrison said in his statement.

“I look forward to supporting that successful candidate in their local campaign, along with our Party Leader Peter Dutton and his deputy Sussan Ley who are doing a great job holding the Albanese Labor Government to account, and providing a clear alternative to lead Australia forward.”

Since 1969, the Cook electorate has only ever had one Labor MP representing its constituents in parliament – Ray Thorburn, who held the seat from 1972-1975. For the 52 other years, the Liberal party has held the seat.

In his statement, Morrison said he was proud of his achievements in government, including his role in the global pandemic “saving lives and livelihoods”.

“There will be time later to speak of these achievements and thank everyone involved, including my parliamentary colleagues, when I leave the parliament,” he said.

“Today, my priority is to express my deep gratitude to my community and my family for supporting me to do this job for as long as I have. It has been an honour.”

Morrison’s book

Earlier this month, the former Prime Minister announced the release date of his new book, Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness.

Morrison is publishing his book with Thomas Nelson, a branch of Harper Collins Christian Publishing. The expected release date of the 288-page book is May 21, marking exactly two years since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defeated him in the 2022 Federal Election.

Morrison and his publisher have clarified the book will be less of a political memoir and more “pastoral encouragement”, reflecting on how God and his Christian faith has helped guide him throughout his 16-year political career and four-year leadership of Australia.

On the Thomas Nelson website, his publisher says the book will come at a time “where cancel culture, identity politics and deep secularisation is taking hold across so many western societies.”

Upon announcing the release date of his book, Morrison revealed who will be writing the foreword: former Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence.

Morrison and Pence are thought to have a strong relationship, developed during their time in office. According to reports from The Sydney Morning Herald, Morrison phoned Pence, not Trump, when the Trump administration failed to secure a second term in office at the 2020 US election.

Pence is also very open about his strong Christian faith. In 2022, Pence released his own faith-centred memoir, titled So Help Me God.

According to an article in Politico, Mike Pence often says: “I am a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order.”

The inclusion of Pence’s foreword is expected to assist the book in expanding its market interest globally, especially in the US.

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Donna Faragher MLC, the only current female member of the Legislative Council from the Liberal party, announced she would not enter the bid for her Upper House seat as the member for East Metropolitan Region in Perth in WA’s 2025 election.

“It is an honour and privilege to serve as a member of parliament and to represent the East Metropolitan community in the Legislative Council, a region where I have lived all my life,” Faragher told the AAP.

Her resignation will mark 20 years serving in WA state politics, the longest a female member has served in either house in the state.

Faragher has had a trailblazing career for women in politics in WA. When she was elected in 2005, she became the youngest woman from the Liberal party to enter the WA parliament, and the second youngest overall. Faragher was 29 years old.

Faragher quickly joined the shadow cabinet ministry and, when Colin Barnett’s Liberal government won the 2008 election, she became the youngest woman in WA to hold a cabinet ministerial office. At 33, she served as the Minister for Environment and the Minister for Youth.

Faragher continued working for the Liberal party after resigning from the ministry in 2010, when she had her first child. After a six-year stint as a parliamentary secretary to the premier, she re-entered the ministry as Minister for Planning and Minister for Disability Services in 2016.

In her inaugural speech in 2005, Faragher acknowledged her youth, but showed how she could use it to her advantage in what would become a 20-year career in parliament.

“By standing here today, I acknowledge that I am a relatively young member; indeed, the youngest Liberal woman to have stood in either house of this state Parliament,” she said. 

“Therefore, there are many things that I have not yet experienced, but I feel that through my own experiences to date and those of my peers in their 20s, 30s and 40s, I can positively represent the issues, aspirations and challenges facing these Australians.”

Later in her speech, she acknowledged that it was a Liberal government in Western Australia that was the first in the country to promote a woman as a Minister.

“Although I do not suggest that we should ever rest on our successes, Liberals do have a proud history, and I believe our achievements should never be forgotten or rewritten to suit other people’s ends,” she said in her speech.

Gender make-up in parliament

Currently, there are seven members from the Liberal party holding seats in WA’s Upper House, the Legislative Council. Six of those seats are held by men, while the seventh is held by the sole Liberal woman, Faragher – for the next year at least.

In the Lower House, the Legislative Assembly, just three Liberal members hold seats – two women and one man.

The Legislative Assembly is gender-balanced, with 29 male members and 29 female members sitting in parliament.

Meanwhile, the Legislative Council consists of 21 male and just 14 female MLCs. WA’s next election will be held in March 2025.

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Kovacic, the former president of the NSW Liberal Party, spoke about the challenges of the housing market for young people, as well as her commitment to improving outcomes for women. She is the co-founder of Western Sydney Women and prior to politics, she ran her own financial services business. She comes to the Senate filling a seat vacated by the late senator, Jim Molan.

Kovacic described the journey her parents took coming to Australia as migrants from Croatia, her own experience of becoming a mother of three by the age of 25, and later becoming a single mother who faced eviction from her rental home.

“I was alone, had no money and was soon to have no roof over my and my children’s heads. It was a turning point in my life,” she said. “As I sat on our front steps of that rental home clutching that notice I wept, but I promised myself and my children that I would never find myself in that situation again.”

Kovacic said politicians have a duty as leaders to explore “innovative policy solutions” in housing, balancing the aspiration of the next generation with the realities of the market. She spoke about increasing supply, as well as considering tax changes like capping the number of properties that can be negatively geared, replacing stamp duty, and correcting bracket creep. 

“A serious plan by this parliament has to deal with the housing crisis and would go a long way to restoring the electorate’s faith in political leadership solving big problems and delivering reform,” she said.

“I spent the better part of the last two decades working with people to help them buy their own homes, to realise the great Australian dream. This was my world before politics. I’ve seen firsthand how difficult it is for young Australians to buy their first home. Simply working hard does not appear to be enough anymore.

“Average property prices as a multiple of wages have more than doubled over the last 30 years. The task of saving for a deposit is even more challenging when rents are also on the rise. As a consequence, if you are under 40 you are less likely to own a home today than at any other time in the modern era. This has a financial and a human impact.

“Like my parents before me, I seized an opportunity in the most difficult of times. I worked hard. I worked long hours and on weekends, writing mortgages and small business loans all over Western Sydney, and I built a future for myself and my children. That is the transformative opportunity that small business provides.”

On the topic of gender equality, Kovacic spoke about the crisis of homelessness facing women over the age of 55, as well as the challenges facing working mothers and fathers, exorbitant child care fees, and a lack of support for women returning to work.

Kovacic also acknowledged the challenges facing women in politics – not mentioning the Liberal Party specfically – but talking more broadly about the Canberra environment.

“It is often felt that, while women were speaking up, Canberra was not listening, resulting in real frustration with politics. This is a longstanding problem that persists over multiple governments,” she said.

“I acknowledge the contributions of Charlotte Mortlock, Natalie Ward, Jacqui Munro, Sally Betts, Jane Buncle, Gisele Kapterian, Clare Batch, Rebecca Vonhoff and Alex Schuman for being the driving force that each of you are.”

In terms of her political philosophy, Kovacic said she was proud to be a “progressive Liberal”.

“At the heart of that liberalism is a belief in the inalienable rights of the individual’s personal and economic freedoms. I believe in the freedom of speech, religion and association. I believe in universal access to education and each person’s right to seek work and to start their own business,” she said.

“We must have the freedom to choose the way we live our own lives without fear of discrimination or exploitation; that every person must be treated equally before the law, irrespective of their gender, their culture, their religion, their sexuality, their wealth or their privilege. 

“I say to my new colleagues that we must be vigilant against threats to Australian liberalism from both right-wing populism and left-wing preoccupations with an equality of outcomes. Modern challenges are changing the role of government: national security threats, climate change, unbridled big tech, inflation and economic uncertainty all require government action because it is only as a collective that we can address these problems.”

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In an address at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Bishop said: “Personally, my message to anyone who wants to listen to what I have to say is that I believe that it is a step in the right direction.”

“I sat through too many of those Closing the Gap speeches in parliament to sense that what we were doing was working to close the disparity and inequality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.”

“In some instances, the key measures were getting worse, not better, so it’s not a question of money, it’s not a question of politicians coming up with policies, it’s a question of giving Indigenous people the franchise to make decisions to implement policies that will work,” she said.

“We’ve got to give it a chance.”

When asked whether she was disappointed that the Liberal party, which she led for 11 years, is actively campaigning against a “yes” vote, Bishop said: “I’m not excited, I’m not disappointed. I’m pragmatic about the choices that political parties take.”

She reiterated that it was her personal decision to support the “yes” vote as she believes it’s a step in the right direction.

“No one’s claiming that it’s going to end inequality and disparity but surely we have to try something that comes from Indigenous people themselves,” said Bishop.

The Liberal party is currently under the leadership of Peter Dutton, who’s been actively campaigning against the proposal.

As for whether or not she would publicly campaign for a “yes” vote, Bishop said: “I have just said to the National Press Club my position. That’s about as public as I get these days.”

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Stoker alleged that Van squeezed her bottom at the social event, behaviour she said was “unprofessional and uninvited”. 

“In November 2020 Senator Van inappropriately touched me at an informal social gathering in a parliamentary office,’’ Ms Stoker said.

“He did so by squeezing my bottom twice. By its nature and by its repetition, it was not accidental.

“That action was not appropriate. It was unprofessional and uninvited.”

On Thursday night, Van told the media that he had no recollection of the incident that Stoker alleged happened three years ago. 

Stoker’s statement on Thursday came after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton made the decision to remove Van from the Liberal Party room.

“Since the airing of Senator Thorpe’s allegation yesterday, further allegations in relation to Senator Van have been brought to my attention overnight and this morning. As such, I met with Senator Van this morning and a short time ago I advised Senator Van of my decision that he should no longer sit in the Liberal Party room,” Dutton said.

Stoker’s claims come in addition to the allegations made this week by independent senator Lidia Thorpe, who used parliamentary privilege on Wednesday to accuse Van of “harassment” and “sexual assault”. Van vehemently denied the allegations and rejects any wrongdoing.

Thorpe later withdrew her comments to adhere to Senate standing orders, but made another statement on Thursday where she claimed she had been cornered by a man in a stairwell in parliament house. She did not name this man. 

Thorpe also said she had been “followed, aggressively propositioned and inappropriately touched” in parliament.

Stoker said she had initially wanted to keep her allegations confidential, having previously dealt with it through internal processes, but decided to come forward publicly after hearing Senator Thorpe’s statement. 

“I believe all women should be free from unwanted advances and confident to speak up immediately and be respected for doing so,” Stoker said.

“I promptly advised a senior female colleague about the incident, and of the action I had taken. I did so to ensure that if there were any other incidents of which I was not aware, or any future reports, they could be dealt with appropriately.

“Obviously, this was not a good experience. I took it very seriously but did not want his misbehaviour to define me or any other woman. I simply wanted to ensure his behaviour was never repeated. So I used the internal process for his behaviour to be addressed, whilst asking for it to be kept confidential. I would have preferred that the matter be resolved privately and finally – as I thought it was.

“However, following Senator Thorpe’s allegations, it is now clear that is no longer tenable.”

Speaking to ABC radio on Friday morning, Senator Thorpe said it had been a horrible 48 hours.

“It wasn’t until a white woman stood up and said ‘yeah, this happened to me too’ that the media took notice. That is a great example of the media landscape in this country and that is systemic racism,” Senator Thorpe said.

“I was questioned. I was absolutely demonised that day, by everybody. And you wonder why women don’t speak out. You wonder why we are silenced. It’s because of that kind of behaviour.”

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Andrews, a former Coalition minister, says the party must implement the recommendations of its election review, which offered suggestions on ways to boost the number of Liberal women in parliament. 

Speaking to Nine papers, Andrews said she was disappointed there were only five people who nominated for preselection in Fadden ahead of the byelection in the safe seat, due to be held in July. 

There was only one woman – local branch chair and business person Fran Ward – among the five people nominated for the seat. On Saturday, local Gold Coast city councillor Cameron Caldwell won the preselection battle. 

In Queensland, the LNP has just three women in the house of representatives in federal parliament. 

One of the key recommendations of the Liberal Party’s election review was to adopt a target of 50 per cent female representation within 10 years.

Andrews has announced she will leave parliament at the end of this term, vacating her Gold Coast seat of McPherson. Andrews is among the most experienced women in the Liberal Party.

Founder of Hilma’s Network Charlotte Mortlock recently gave an address at the Sydney Institute, where she called for the Liberal Party to start embracing new people and new ideas.

“I am not saying that women should be handed seats on a platter. I am not saying that women don’t need to work very hard if they want the gig. I am saying sometimes we will need to look past the dude who’s been working the branch for 15 years,” Mortlock said.

“For this party to come back, what we desperately need is fresh blood. The public wants to see a new fresh Liberal Party, so why is it so hard to get new people climbing the ranks? And who is resistant to changing that?

“The answer is those who currently hold power internally, perhaps they don’t want to relinquish some personal power for the greater good of the party, perhaps they’re nervous that new people would be more impressive than them and ruin their own ambitions. Perhaps they’re scared of change, of new ideas and new perspectives. All of these are weak attributes and we are not supposed to be a weak party.”

Mortlock founded Hilma’s Network last year to encourage more women to join the Liberal Party. It has launched a gender representation tracker, showing women make up just 29 per cent of Coalition representatives in federal parliament.

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The gender representation tracker, launched by Hilma’s Network, shows women make up just 29 per cent of Coalition representatives in federal parliament. In the House of Representatives, the figure drops to 20 per cent. 

According to the tracker, the Liberal Party has its biggest problem on gender parity in lower houses, where the proportion of women in several states hovers around the 20 per cent mark. This is significant because lower houses are generally from where party leaders are chosen.

The Liberal Party’s female representation in upper houses tends to be higher, coming in at 45 per cent in federal parliament.

South Australia has the lowest proportion of Liberal women in its lower house of any parliament, with female MPs holding just 2 of the party’s 16 seats, or 12.5 per cent, in the legislative assembly.

In Queensland, where the state parliament consists of only one house, women hold just 6 of the LNP’s 34 seats, equating to 18 per cent. 

Charlotte Mortlock, the founder of Hilma’s Network, said she hopes the hard statistics will see the issue taken seriously by Liberal Party members. 

“Some people in our Party are still saying ‘the so-called women’s issue’ as a way to belittle our concerns as a sort of mythical and ambiguous feeling,” Mortlock told Women’s Agenda.

“Our women’s issue is not illusive. It is blatant, brazen and needs urgent attention. 

“I think the best way to explain that to the membership and Party structure is through hard facts and statistics.”

Hilma’s Network is an organisation designed to connect Liberal-minded women and expand the base of Liberal Party members with more women and young people. 

Mortlock says she hopes members of the Liberal Party will use tracker to check on the party’s progress, because, as she points out, the federal and NSW elections highlighted “not only is gender parity the right thing to do, it’s also just the right strategy to win”.

“I also hope every time a woman is in the midst of being persuaded to stand aside so a dude can run and not make waves about another male getting in, she is reminded of these stark statistics and puts her hand up anyway,” Mortlock said. 

Looking ahead, Mortlock says the tracker can be used to keep the Liberal Party accountable.

“My preference every day of the week is quotas but we aren’t getting them,” she said. “We have had targets before and they failed because no one actually ever intended to implement them, or they weren’t passionate enough to make sure they were met.

“By creating this tracker I hope the media and public holds us to account to the goals we set. I certainly will be.”

As for Hilma’s Network, Mortlock says she is determined to get more women, especially younger women, involved in the party. The organisation has held a number of sell out events across the country since it launched last year. 

“Hilma’s is not a flash in the pan. Initially people internally were suspicious of it, and that’s totally fine, we are in politics after all. However, we are now in our 7th month, with more than 720 people subscribed to the network and we have held sold out events in every state we have launched in,” she said.

“With or without the support of the Party and its existing members, we will flood the base of this Party with younger people and more women. This is the hill I’m dying on.”

Feature Image: Hilma’s Network Founder Charlotte Mortlock.

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It’s been reported that the incident occurred when the group barrelled their way towards one of the exits of the House of Representatives as the lower house had been voting on a government bill on income-management policies. 

Speaker of the House Milton Dick said he’d ordered the doors to be locked according to procedure during a parliamentary vote, but that some Opposition MPs decided to force their way through the doors anyways.

A female House attendant trying to close the doors had her arm injured in the scuffle. 

“The most serious aspect of this incident is that members physically pushed their way past the attendant to get out of the chamber, resulting in them getting hit in the doorframe and hurting their arm,” said the Speaker, adding that he is “particularly disgusted by this behaviour” and “will not tolerate it”. 

Speaker of the House Dick said he’d received a written report about this incident, and on Wednesday morning, each of the Coalition MPs involved in the attendant’s injury stood to issue an apology after being read the riot act. 

Members of this reprimanded group were Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor, Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie, Shadow Immigration Minister Dan Tehan, Shadow Climate Change and Energy Minister Ted O’Brien, former deputy Speaker Llew O’Brien, and backbenchers Zoe McKenzie and Sam Birrell.

Amongst the apologies, Andrew Hastie said, “I particularly regret any issues with the staff member involved, and I apologise to her unreservedly.”

Former deputy speaker Llew O’Brien also said, “Our staff here in the chamber do an incredible job — and one of them is not crowd control — and I apologise to them for that.”

In having the Liberal MPs apologise, the Speaker said he’s committed to making the building and chamber “safe and respectful places of work for all”.

“For a staff member of this place to be treated in this way, when they are simply doing their job, is disrespectful and a very serious matter.”

“We all know that members are busy, however I’m sure we would all agree that no member’s time is worth more than a staff member’s safety.”

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On Monday afternoon, just hours after she was handed a nine-month suspension from the party for her involvement in the rally that saw neo-Nazis perform the Nazi salute outside the Victorian parliament, Deeming tweeted that she never condemned the organisers of the rally. 

Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto had previously told the media that Deeming had condemned the organisers during a party room meeting. He had initially sought to have her expelled from the parliamentary party, but said he changed his mind after she provided “concessions” and “condemnation” of the rally.

“I never said those things anywhere,” Deeming tweeted on Monday after the party room meeting.

She then tweeted again to anti-trans activist Angi Jones: “Don’t worry, I never condemned you, or KD or KJ (Kellie-Jay Keen).”

Here, Deeming is referring to former Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Warringah Katherine Deves, and British anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull. 

During an appearance on ABC’s 7.30 program on Monday night, Pesutto said if there was evidence that what Deeming presented to the party room meeting was different to what she posted on social media, then there “will be consequences with that”.

“The party will be looking very closely, all of us, who believed what was put to us,” he said.

“If, as I’ve seen this evening, there are comments on social media that are inconsistent with that … that is a matter Moira would have to take very seriously because there will be repercussions.”

Pesutto also said anyone who is not willing to make “diversity and inclusion” a “top priority in the Liberal Party” will not be given a platform. 

But with Deeming now suspended from the Liberal Party for nine months, Pesutto did not say whether the tweets published on Monday have already ruined her chances of being welcomed back to the party room after her suspension, but did say the tweets were a “real problem”.

“Well, I’m not happy with those tweets, and they’re very great concern and will represent if that continues, it will obviously represent a real problem going forward for Moira to return the [party],” he told the ABC on Tuesday morning. 

“There’ll obviously be consideration by the party room about whether Moira has acted consistently with the outcome of the party room decision.”

He also could not say whether Deeming could continue to promote her anti-trans rhetoric as part of the Liberal Party. He said his main concern was “people in hate speech” and that hate speech would never be accepted in the party. 

“I want public debate not just in the state but nationally, to be respectful and civil and courteous, and to be inclusive so that people can participate in discussions,” he said.

“I am a supporter of free speech, but any connection of the Liberal party with people who share platforms with people who are extremely … people in hate speech is a concern to me and will never be acceptable in the party.”

The situation that unfolded on Monday came after Pesutto initially took a strong stance against Deeming’s involvement in the Melbourne rally. At the time, he said her position in the party room was “untenable” and said he was determined to lead an inclusive party.

The party now finds itself in a scenario where Deeming is responsible for her own conduct for a period of nine months while her suspension is carried out. The first signs of her conduct while suspended from the party have not been reassuring.

So where to from here? Pesutto says Deeeming’s conduct will be assessed at the end of the suspension, but there is no telling what will happen when the time is up, or if she will face further repercussions.

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According to a report from The Daily Telegraph, Peter Poulous leaked explicit images of Robyn Presten, the Liberal MP for Hawkesbury via email to another Liberal member.

The report indicates that the incident occurred five years ago, when Poulos was working as a political staffer and as Preston was vying for preselection for the seat of Hawkesbury. 

It emerged during the preselection battle that Preston had modelled for Penthouse during the 1980s. The Daily Telegraph reported that Poulos sent an email to another Liberal member with the subject “Treasurer’s Pet” and Preston’s modelling images.

Poulos has now apologised for his actions, but remains in the NSW parliament. 

On Tuesday, Perrottet was asked about Poulos’ actions, and said “he should be sorry because that is incredibly inappropriate. I spoke to Peter over the course of the weekend to remind him of his responsibilities and my highest expectations”.

“People make mistakes,” Perrott said. “No one is perfect. I’ve made a number of mistakes in life.The main thing is when you do, you stand up, you take responsibility for it, you apologise. That’s what Peter has done.”

Perrottet has not asked Poulos to resign, who became an upper house MLC in 2021 when he was chosen to replace the retiring John Ajaka.

On Twitter, federal MP Zali Steggall questioned why Poulos has not been asked to resign.

Preston has said that Poulos has called her to apologise, and said the pair are “great mates”.

“This is something that’s been brought up for decades now and I wish that we would respect the the opportunity to put it to bed,” she said, according to AAP.

In NSW, distributing explicit images of another person without consent became a crime in 2017, with perpetrators of initmate image abuse facing a maximum sentence of three years’ jail and a fine of $11,000.

The scandal has unfolded amid the campaign for the upcoming NSW election and as the Liberal Party has come under scrutinty for a lack of women preselected in seats across the state.

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On Wednesday morning, Archer delivered a speech in the House of Representatives explaining her decision to support the censuring of Morrison. Standing apart from the rest of the Liberal party, Archer said she does not accept any of the “explanations” Morrison has given as to why he secretly appointed himself to multiple ministries.

“As Virginia Bell concluded in her report, the actions taken were corrosive to trust in politics. Those actions sit outside the expectations of the Australian people. And it sits outside of how we expect elected representatives in the highest office to act,” Archer said in her speech to parliament.

“I’ve relentlessly advocated for more integrity and politics and fought for an integrity commission that would begin to restore the public’s faith in elected officials. To sit quietly now would be hypocritical and I firmly believe we should be intentional in the actions we take to ensure that we do not let this happen again.”

Her support for the censure motion comes after many of her Coalition colleagues shook Morrison’s hand and went on to vote against the censure motion. Karen Andrews is the only Coalition MP who chose to abstain from the vote.

“I’ve said time and time again that we talk very much in this house about the great privilege and honour of being here. But we talk less often about the responsibility that comes with that,” Archer said.

“There is a great privilege that comes with being the prime minister. But with that comes great responsibility and accountability. Which you can’t have without transparency.”

Archer said “it might be a shock to some who sit here from all sides, but this is not a game. There are things that sit above the cut and thrust of politics and the essential motion goes to our system of democracy.”

“It would be remiss of me not to mention that for me this issue also sits at the heart of the ability of our party to move forward,” she said.

Archer said the censure motion was a clear opportunity for the Liberal Party to draw a line and “move in the right direction”.

“We must heed the message sent to us at the May election. Learn those lessons. Reset and move forward constructively,” she said.

Archer closed her speech with a powerful statement about true “Liberal values” and why these values underpin her decision to censure Morrison.

“In closing, I just say this. I am a Liberal. I believe in Liberal values. And our statement of values says this; we believe in the rule of law. Under it there is freedom for the nation and for all men and women,” she said.

“Democracy depends upon self discipline, obedience to the law, and the honest administration of the law. And it is for this reason, I’m obligated to support this motion.”

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