The failure to understand that the toxic misogynistic culture within the Liberal Party is not acceptable to the community at large continues to rip the party apart.
This is what www.tas.liberal.org.au said about one of its “team”, Speaker in the Tasmanian Legislative Assembly and current Liberal MLA for Clark Sue Hickey (left), on 12 March 2021:
Sue Hickey has proven experience and commitment to public service with six years in local government and over 30 years in small business.
Sue was elected as Lord Mayor of Hobart in 2014, she is a former Telstra Tasmanian Business Woman of the Year and she has an MBA (Masters of Business and Administration).
As a strong, thinking woman, Sue has an enormous capacity for hard work and a record for getting things done!
This webpage has since disappeared and on 22 March 2021 ABC News reported that Speaker Hickey was not being endorsed as a Liberal Party candidate at the next Tasmanian state election due to be called on or about 14 May 2022.
Her personal website as MLA for Clark is now password protected and therefore no longer visible to the general public. She has announced that she will now be standing as an Independent at the next election.
In an ABC Northern Tasmania radio interview on 23 March 2021 Ms. Hickey spoke about a conversation she had with a then unnamed, high profile, elected federal member of the Liberal Party.
Subsequent to this interview she released this statement under parliamentary privilege, the contents of which Liberal Senator for Tasmania Eric Abetz denies:
That statement was followed by this.....
Sue Hickey has again used the Speaker’s chair to make a public comment, this time responding to Eric Abetz’s response to her! #politas #auspol @WINNews_Tas pic.twitter.com/iLT3zFsDH7
— Alex Johnston (@swegen31) March 24, 2021
By midday on 24 March 2021 the Tasmanian Premier and Liberal MLA for Bass Peter Gutwien has passed the problem back to where it belongs, on the desk of the Australian Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Cook.
ABC News, 24 March 2021:
Tasmania's Premier has written to the Prime Minister, urging him to "consider" accusations Liberal senator Eric Abetz "slut-shamed" alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins.
In a written statement, Peter Gutwein said Tasmian Speaker Sue Hickey told him several weeks ago that Senator Abetz had made offensive comments — which he has since strongly denied — but not to the level of detail raised in the state's Parliament this morning.
Late on Wednesday, Mr Gutwein acknowledged Senator Abetz had denied making the comments.
But he added: "A few weeks ago Ms Hickey raised this matter with me but not to the level of detail that was in her statements today and did not make a formal complaint to me or request that I take any action.
"As Ms Hickey has outlined her allegations in more detail in the Parliament, this afternoon I have written to the Prime Minister and requested that he consider the matters raised."…...
Predictably, at 2pm on 24 March Prime Minister Morrison publicly backed Senator Abetz.
Australian Parliament, House of Representatives, Hansard, 24 March 2021, pp.43 &45:
Mr MORRISON (Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service) (14:00): I note the statement that has been issued by Senator Abetz: Ms Hickey's defamatory allegations under parliamentary privilege are categorically denied. Allegations of rape are serious matters and have always been treated as such by me. Sexual assault is an issue on which I've been consistently outspoken including domestic violence. He goes on to make a number of statements. I'd refer the member to the senator's statement, as it's very clear that he completely denies those statements…..
Mr MORRISON (Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service) (14:07): The comments that have been referred to by the Speaker are obviously repugnant. What I can only refer to is the absolute denial of those statements by Senator Abetz. Now, I was not a party to this conversation. There were two persons who were allegedly party to this conversation. I was not one of them; nor was the member who asked the question…..
Mr MORRISON: The matter has been absolutely denied by Senator Abetz, and that is a matter of public record, and he will continue to serve in the role that he has. Senator Abetz has been a significant contributor to the chamber opposite—to the Senate—over a long period of time. He has served his state and he has served his nation. He has served as a minister both in the Howard government and over the term of this coalition government since they were elected. So, he will continue to serve in the roles that he now serves in within the Senate. I can only refer to his complete denial of those allegations. But the actual comments that have been quoted of course the government would find completely and utterly repugnant.
