CRIKEY: Bradfield preselection shows NSW Libs have changed ...

Before my membership lapsed in 2002, it was a place where homophobes gathered and made jokes about all those “faggots” who formed a “Pink Triangle” cabal in the small ‘l’ faction known as the Group (or as we referred to them, the “Left”).

In fact, we had a theory about the powers-that-be in the NSW Young Libs, which was then controlled by the Left. We assumed that each alternate year, a homosexual male was made Young Liberal President, either as a kind of “affirmative action” or as an indication that the Pink Triangle had the entire Left faction by the balls (so to speak).

I remember our monthly NSW Young Liberal Council meetings used to be held at the Cricketer’s Club in the CBD. However, we were kicked out by the club after a right-winger punched a Group guy he assumed was homosexual simply because he wore a skivvy.

One factional heavy from the Senior Right (now a conservative NSW Upper House MP) even said to me that I should try and recruit lots of conservative Muslims to the party on the basis of his assumption that “they hate Jews and homosexuals as much as we do”. And when that upstart former head of the Australian Medical Association suddenly nominated for the Bradfield preselection I attended in May 1995, we all wondered about his sexuality simply because he wore an ear stud.

But at this Saturday’s Bradfield preselection at the Hornsby RSL, one of the front runners will a conservative who also happens to be openly gay. And I doubt he’ll be wearing a skivvy. Former Brendan Nelson staffer Simon Berger has the backing of former Howard staffer Arthur Sinodinos and South Australian conservative heavy Nick Minchin. Even Brendan Nelson sang Berger’s praises in the local rag before the 34-year-old had even nominated.

In keeping with the gay conservative theme, former tennis star John Alexander has received a reference from Alan Jones, as has former opinion editor of The Australian Tom Switzer. Also providing references to Switzer are Janet Albrechtsen. It’s only fitting given the enormous support Switzer gave her after she was caught out in some rather un-journalistic activity. Switzer doesn’t seem to have received much support from his old boss Dr Nelson, for whom Switzer worked as an adviser toward the end of Nelson’s leadership of the Federal Opposition. I wonder why.

First published in Crikey on Tuesday 22 September 2009.

CRIKEY: NSW Libs at loggerheads as intra-factional action heats up ...

The Sydney Morning Herald today reports on the latest intra-factional action in the dominant NSW Liberal Right faction under the appropriate headline “Holy warriors pitch for Liberal seats”.

And yes, this is indeed a political crusade. NSW Upper House member and Opus Dei supporter David Clarke with a small but powerful cabal of supporters are battling the “soft right” and threatening the preselections of Philip Ruddock and other allegedly moderate MP’s.

The Herald claims Clarke’s “soft right” opponents include his former staffer and Federal MP for Mitchell Alex Hawke. Yet Hawke himself appears to be playing a role in toppling another “soft righter”, former Howard enforcer Senator Bill Heffernan, whose Senate term doesn’t expire until 2011. In a scathing radio editorial on 21 July 2009, Alan Jones describes Hawke as being among ...

... the wet-behind-the-ears marshmallows … Young Liberals.

Jones asks whether Hawke really ...

... represents mainstream Liberal thinking.

Jones lavishes praise on Heffernan for his experience of ...

... life west of the Great Dividing Range.

Ah, the irony of Jones, a man apparently vilified for his sexuality, praising a Senator perhaps best known for his arguably homophobic comments concerning a former High Court Justice. Or as Melbourne writer John Heard wrote in The Australian on 24 October 2006 on the release of Chris Masters' critical biography Jonestown ...

ALAN Jones is a homosexual. Michael Kirby is a homosexual. Sadly, both men have
been targeted for vilification purely because they are attracted to their sex.
In Kirby's case, it was the Left who accused the Right of homophobia following
baseless allegations by Liberal senator Bill Heffernan in 2002. In Jones's case,
which has come to light in a new book by the ABC's Chris Masters, the Right must
accuse the Left.

Hawke’s alleged ally in the soft right, NSW Party President Nick Campbell, is a former Heffernan staffer. But as one Liberal source told me:

Campbell is one of those blokes who will tell every candidate in a party ballot that he supports them.

If Campbell believes he has a chance of taking Heffernan’s seat, he may back Hawke. If not, there could be a three-way tussle.

One interesting figure mentioned in the Herald story is Edin Dyga, staffer for ultra-conservative NSW State MP Greg Smith who supports Ruddock’s religious right opponent. In his 2007 maiden speech, Mr Smith described himself as

... unashamedly pro life and pro family ...

... though he went onto say that ...

... while I may exercise my right to a conscience vote on some issues I will
never seek to impose my religious views on others.

Smith’s staffer has expressed less conciliatory views on an e-mail group called “Ozlibs” which yours truly once moderated. In a post dated 9 May 2006 Dyga referred to ...

... the Holy Crusaders (Peace Be Upon Them) ...

... and says Muslims

... should be thankful the Holy Crusaders (Peace Be Upon Them) didn’t continue
down south and have fun with your metropolitan al wakf [religious trust],
Mecca.

Then on 12 November 2005, Dyga remarks:

The only religious system that has been in the core of Australia’s development
as a nation has been Christianity. Since settlement, Australia has become
secular — far too secular for my liking, but that’s just my opinion.

Dyga’s views may have changed since then. But if they reflect a wish by the religious right to roll back secularism, they’ll effectively make the Party unelectable. They’ll also be answering Nathan Rees’ prayers.

A version of this piece was first published in Crikey on Tuesday 28 July 2009.

CRIKEY: Wacko blog comments pile on at the Herald Sun ...

What do Boag's Draught, AMP Banking, the alcohol.vic.gov.au website and ANZ all have in common?

Two things:

1. They are all subject to laws that forbid them from publishing racist and homophobic content; and

2. They all advertise on the Herald Sun website.

If a Lion Nathan Limited (makers of Boag's Draught) employee used his/her employer's intranet or e-mail server to make racist remarks against another employee and/or members of the public based on their ethnicity, the company would have no option but to take action against that employee. If the ANZ Banking Group Limited published homophobic remarks on its website, it could be sued or even prosecuted.

Yet certain blogs on the Herald Sun website aren't subject to the same standards and laws. And if you don't believe me, read some of these comments from a popular Herald Sun blog:

Case replied to Wacko
Mon 02 Mar 09 (05:46pm)
Lok at it in a positive light-Sydney leads the rest of Oz again.
Well, at least as far as mardi grARS it does!

Pacific Islanders are probably the most common suspects in Sydney home invasion imo using their bulk.
Crime Rep (Reply)
Mon 02 Mar 09 (03:36pm)

Crime Rep replied to arnie
Mon 02 Mar 09 (06:41pm)
There is an element for sure. Islanders are heavily over-represented in home invasions.

There's been a few other incidences of Islanders invading homes.
Mostly pistol whipping people and robbing them.
The worst was in the Suburb of Claymore where a woman was raped deliberately in front of her kids. This was a few years ago. The one man caught was named [name deleted] ...
Crime Rep (Reply)
Mon 02 Mar 09 (03:42pm)

The comments were made after the blogger in question listed three completely unrelated incidents in Sydney to reach this conclusion:

That police seem to play down the violence, and that the tired counter-accusation of racism is used, only makes clearer some of the reasons we got to this point.

One of those incidents was an attack at a Catholic independent school located in the Sydney suburb of Auburn. The motive behind this attack was described by one student at the school who told The Australian that ...

... he believed the incident was a payback for a failed romance at the western Sydney school.

Sounds perfectly racial to me.

Words © 2009 Irfan Yusuf


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