Photograph from The Australian
Lower house speaker, Michael Sutherland at the Yokine Primary School polling booth in WA.
One of the candidates vying to be the next West Australian senator for the Liberal Party has described supporters of refugee-friendly policies as "a bunch of cockroaches" swarming all over his former electorate.
Michael Sutherland, the former Speaker in the WA parliament who lost his inner city seat in March, made the comments at a Liberal Party event in Sydney last month.
He is one of the five men revealed to be vying in this weekend's pre-selection for the Senate vacancy created by the retirement of Liberal Chris Back. Born in South Africa, Mr Sutherland has refused to provide proof he has relinquished his dual-citizenship, despite two Greens senators resigning in the past week after it emerged they were citizens of other countries.
Speaking at a panel discussion on how the Liberals can combat anti-fracking campaign groups, Mr Sutherland said such activists had overrun his former electorate of Mount Lawley.
"My seat was an inner city seat and these people were crawling all over the seat, so, it's a big problem," he said.
He then turned his attention to the organisation representing Western Australia's 139 councils (WALGA) for promoting refugee-friendly spaces.
"You know WALGA as well gets involved in things like refugee-friendly zones and if we don't all stand together and fight this bunch of cockroaches, we're going to have a real problem."
Liberals attending can be heard laughing at Mr Sutherland's comments in audio obtained by Fairfax Media.
Read more of what this ‘charmer’ thinks here.
BACKGROUND
The West Australian, 1 April 2017:
The Liberal Party’s shocking State election result will cost WA taxpayers more than $2 million in payouts to defeated MPs, some of whom will receive six-figure sums.
The resettlement entitlement paid to MPs who lost their seats or retired at the March 11 poll is to aid the move from public office to private life, according to the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal.
Politicians are paid a taxable lump sum based on their parliamentary service and base salary.
Former MPs who served one term are entitled to three months’ salary, those who served two terms are entitled to six months’ salary, and those who served three terms or more receive nine months’ salary.
An MP’s base salary is $156,536 a year.
Former ministers Joe Francis, Andrea Mitchell, Albert Jacob, and Paul Miles, who were all elected in 2008, will receive nearly $80,000 each.
Other 2008-elected MPs who lost this year are Ian Britza, former speaker Michael Sutherland, Peter Abetz, Frank Alban and Paul Miles.
The West Australian, 9 June 2017:
At least six dumped State Liberal MPs are likely to tackle council elections this year, including former environment minister Albert Jacob who is mulling a run for mayor of one of WA’s biggest local governments.
Former local government minister Paul Miles, former speaker Michael Sutherland and MPs Peter Abetz, Frank Alban and Chris Hatton have confirmed plans to seek election in October.
The West Australian understands some of the deposed MPs view the October council elections as a way to keep their political careers alive as they consider return tilts at their former seats.
Most suffered massive swings in the Liberal rout in March…..
Mr Sutherland said he was keeping an open mind about going around again in his former seat of Mt Lawley, which he lost to Labor’s Simon Millman after a 13 per cent swing against him.
But he believed a number of his former colleagues would use the council elections to build a platform for a return to Parliament.
“A lot of people put an enormous amount of time into their electorates and they’d be silly not to get on to council if they want to have another go,” Mr Sutherland said.
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