Greens leadership battle shows significant ‘divide' within party
Sky News host Caleb Bond reflects on the 'divide' within the Greens, following the party's leadership vote to elect Larissa Waters.
'While we know the Liberal Party is trying to decide what it wants to be after such a massive walloping, we saw today just how divided the Greens are too,' Mr Bond said.
'They had to make a decision today … whether they wanted to go even further down the rabbit hole of socialism and division and anti-Israel hate or whether they keep, for want of a better word, a more moderate face.
'Now, in the end, they went with that more moderate face in Larissa Waters … but there was a serious push to make Faruqi leader.
'They are a party divided over whether they should lean further into the Faruqi style of politics or return to their bread-and-butter roots.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Candidates coming forward ahead of Tasmania's July 19 state election
As Tasmania prepares for its snap election, candidates across the state are already putting their hands up to be part of the 52nd parliament. Despite the short amount of time they have had to find candidates, the Liberals are coming in with some heavyweights. The ABC understands Gavin Pearce, who chose not to recontest his federal seat of Braddon, will join a stacked-up state ticket in Premier Jeremy Rockliff's own state electorate of Braddon. Former Liberal Party senator Stephen Parry, who just failed in his bid to win the Legislative Council seat of Montgomery, will also be on the ticket. The party did not even wait for an election to be called when it announced former federal MP Bridget Archer, who was kicked out of office last month, was going to run for Bass. But they could not convince Susie Bower, who failed to win the seat of Lyons in the federal election, to jump straight back in the ring. There are also a fair few people popping their hands up who ran in the 2024 state election. Names like Burnie Deputy Mayor Giovanna Simpson (Braddon), Sandy Bay butcher Marcus Vermey (Clark) and vaccine sceptic Julie Sladden (Bass). The premier also confirmed this morning that all sitting Liberal MPs will be recontesting. Aside from Heidi Heck, Labor can not pull from any of the federal candidates who ran in the last election because they are all sitting in Canberra. Ms Heck has confirmed to the ABC she will not be running. However, former federal Lyons MP Brian Mitchell has confirmed he will be seeking preselection. Mr Mitchell stood aside for former state leader Rebecca White to run in the federal election, where she managed to increase his margin from 0.9 per cent to 11.6 per cent. But her absence will likely hurt the state party. In the 2024 Tasmanian election, Ms White won a whopping 15,607 first preference votes, helping to elect Jen Butler. The party has also lost long-serving Bass MP Michelle O'Byrne. Labor has yet to officially reveal any of its candidates, but it is understood all sitting members will recontest. The name of former Salmon Tasmania chief executive officer, now Labor advisor, Luke Martin has been bandied about for Clark, but that preselection has yet to be confirmed. Unions Tas secretary Jess Munday has been widely tipped to run for Labor in Franklin. The Greens' five candidates will all recontest. Meanwhile, Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie will have no presence this time around. She cut off two of her team, Miriam Beswick and Rebekah Pentland, early on in the term. The last standing Jacqui Lambie Network member, Andrew Jenner, announced just last week he had split from the JLN. Mr Jenner and Ms Pentland will run as independents. It is understood Ms Beswick is intending to run again; the question is, under which banner? It seems she is taking her time to consider whether to run as an independent or seek preselection with the Nationals. The party, which is opposed to the stadium, has just put out a call for candidates. Former Liberal MP John Tucker has confirmed he will be putting up his hand. Then there are a whole bunch of familiar independents, including incumbents David O'Byrne, Kristie Johnston and Craig Garland. Fresh off their failed federal election bids and keen to give life in politics another go are people like anti-salmon campaigner Peter George and independent Lyons candidate Angela Offord. Michelle Dracoulis, who briefly put her hand up for Labor last state election, will also run as an independent. Despite registering her own party, Senator Tammy Tyrrell will not be running any candidates. One Nation, which is not registered to contest a state election, will be nowhere to be seen. Given the election campaign is in its very early days, there will be many more candidates to come forward.


The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Israeli minister sanctions dubbed too little, too late
The sanctioning of two Israeli ministers by Australia has been labelled a "slap on the wrist" by a prominent pro-Palestine advocate. The federal government has imposed sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a co-ordinated move with Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. The sanctions were applied for "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights", with the pair barred from travelling to Australia and any assets in the country being frozen. The measures prompted condemnation from the US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it would do little to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict. Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni welcomed the move but said it was too little, too late. "These sanctions are crumbs, tossed by the Australian government 613 days too late," he said. "This is a small step, but Australia must stop pretending that a slap on the wrist for two fascist ministers is justice." Mr Mashni said further sanctions, similar to measures imposed against Russian officials for the country's invasion of Ukraine, need to be applied. "Australians of good conscience demand real action. That means a full array of sanctions," he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the need for the sanctions, despite blowback from Israel and the US. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the government has overstepped its bounds. "It is unprecedented to, as a government, take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government," she told Sky News on Thursday. "The US has explained that these actions are actually counterproductive to securing that ceasefire and that peace, and the government should be paying attention to that." Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, says the style of sanctions imposed by the government was normally reserved for human rights abusers and terrorists. "The big question here is whether this is a new standard that will be applied to the public comments of officials from other countries," he told ABC Radio. "If this is the new standard, it will have serious implications for our international relations.". Middle East politics professor at Deakin University Shahram Akbarzadeh said the sanctions were a consequential step. "It is significant and it sends a signal that Australia is becoming more resolute in pursuing its foreign policy agenda of a two-state solution," he told AAP. "Australia would not have done this on its own, but when Australia sees other allied countries taking this move, that allows Australia to feel comfortable in numbers." Israel's ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said the sanctions were concerning and unacceptable. "These ministers are part of a government that operates under the principle of collective responsibility, making such measures unreasonable," he said in a statement. "The Israeli government will convene early next week to consider and determine our official response to these actions." Prof Akbarzadeh said the sanctions imposed by the Western allies would not alter how Israel would conduct itself in the conflict. "Israel has shown it does not take international opinion seriously, and this move is unlikely to deter the Israeli government in the way they're prosecuting the war in Gaza," he said. The latest eruption of war in Gaza was sparked by militant group Hamas killing about 1200 people and abducting 250 others in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's military response has since killed almost 55,000 mostly civilian Palestinians in Gaza, local health authorities say. Australia in July also sanctioned Israelis involved in attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank. Australia has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2001, according to the federal government's national security website. The sanctioning of two Israeli ministers by Australia has been labelled a "slap on the wrist" by a prominent pro-Palestine advocate. The federal government has imposed sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a co-ordinated move with Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. The sanctions were applied for "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights", with the pair barred from travelling to Australia and any assets in the country being frozen. The measures prompted condemnation from the US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it would do little to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict. Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni welcomed the move but said it was too little, too late. "These sanctions are crumbs, tossed by the Australian government 613 days too late," he said. "This is a small step, but Australia must stop pretending that a slap on the wrist for two fascist ministers is justice." Mr Mashni said further sanctions, similar to measures imposed against Russian officials for the country's invasion of Ukraine, need to be applied. "Australians of good conscience demand real action. That means a full array of sanctions," he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the need for the sanctions, despite blowback from Israel and the US. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the government has overstepped its bounds. "It is unprecedented to, as a government, take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government," she told Sky News on Thursday. "The US has explained that these actions are actually counterproductive to securing that ceasefire and that peace, and the government should be paying attention to that." Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, says the style of sanctions imposed by the government was normally reserved for human rights abusers and terrorists. "The big question here is whether this is a new standard that will be applied to the public comments of officials from other countries," he told ABC Radio. "If this is the new standard, it will have serious implications for our international relations.". Middle East politics professor at Deakin University Shahram Akbarzadeh said the sanctions were a consequential step. "It is significant and it sends a signal that Australia is becoming more resolute in pursuing its foreign policy agenda of a two-state solution," he told AAP. "Australia would not have done this on its own, but when Australia sees other allied countries taking this move, that allows Australia to feel comfortable in numbers." Israel's ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said the sanctions were concerning and unacceptable. "These ministers are part of a government that operates under the principle of collective responsibility, making such measures unreasonable," he said in a statement. "The Israeli government will convene early next week to consider and determine our official response to these actions." Prof Akbarzadeh said the sanctions imposed by the Western allies would not alter how Israel would conduct itself in the conflict. "Israel has shown it does not take international opinion seriously, and this move is unlikely to deter the Israeli government in the way they're prosecuting the war in Gaza," he said. The latest eruption of war in Gaza was sparked by militant group Hamas killing about 1200 people and abducting 250 others in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's military response has since killed almost 55,000 mostly civilian Palestinians in Gaza, local health authorities say. Australia in July also sanctioned Israelis involved in attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank. Australia has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2001, according to the federal government's national security website. The sanctioning of two Israeli ministers by Australia has been labelled a "slap on the wrist" by a prominent pro-Palestine advocate. The federal government has imposed sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a co-ordinated move with Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. The sanctions were applied for "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights", with the pair barred from travelling to Australia and any assets in the country being frozen. The measures prompted condemnation from the US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it would do little to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict. Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni welcomed the move but said it was too little, too late. "These sanctions are crumbs, tossed by the Australian government 613 days too late," he said. "This is a small step, but Australia must stop pretending that a slap on the wrist for two fascist ministers is justice." Mr Mashni said further sanctions, similar to measures imposed against Russian officials for the country's invasion of Ukraine, need to be applied. "Australians of good conscience demand real action. That means a full array of sanctions," he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the need for the sanctions, despite blowback from Israel and the US. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the government has overstepped its bounds. "It is unprecedented to, as a government, take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government," she told Sky News on Thursday. "The US has explained that these actions are actually counterproductive to securing that ceasefire and that peace, and the government should be paying attention to that." Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, says the style of sanctions imposed by the government was normally reserved for human rights abusers and terrorists. "The big question here is whether this is a new standard that will be applied to the public comments of officials from other countries," he told ABC Radio. "If this is the new standard, it will have serious implications for our international relations.". Middle East politics professor at Deakin University Shahram Akbarzadeh said the sanctions were a consequential step. "It is significant and it sends a signal that Australia is becoming more resolute in pursuing its foreign policy agenda of a two-state solution," he told AAP. "Australia would not have done this on its own, but when Australia sees other allied countries taking this move, that allows Australia to feel comfortable in numbers." Israel's ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said the sanctions were concerning and unacceptable. "These ministers are part of a government that operates under the principle of collective responsibility, making such measures unreasonable," he said in a statement. "The Israeli government will convene early next week to consider and determine our official response to these actions." Prof Akbarzadeh said the sanctions imposed by the Western allies would not alter how Israel would conduct itself in the conflict. "Israel has shown it does not take international opinion seriously, and this move is unlikely to deter the Israeli government in the way they're prosecuting the war in Gaza," he said. The latest eruption of war in Gaza was sparked by militant group Hamas killing about 1200 people and abducting 250 others in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's military response has since killed almost 55,000 mostly civilian Palestinians in Gaza, local health authorities say. Australia in July also sanctioned Israelis involved in attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank. Australia has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2001, according to the federal government's national security website. The sanctioning of two Israeli ministers by Australia has been labelled a "slap on the wrist" by a prominent pro-Palestine advocate. The federal government has imposed sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a co-ordinated move with Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. The sanctions were applied for "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights", with the pair barred from travelling to Australia and any assets in the country being frozen. The measures prompted condemnation from the US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it would do little to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict. Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni welcomed the move but said it was too little, too late. "These sanctions are crumbs, tossed by the Australian government 613 days too late," he said. "This is a small step, but Australia must stop pretending that a slap on the wrist for two fascist ministers is justice." Mr Mashni said further sanctions, similar to measures imposed against Russian officials for the country's invasion of Ukraine, need to be applied. "Australians of good conscience demand real action. That means a full array of sanctions," he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the need for the sanctions, despite blowback from Israel and the US. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the government has overstepped its bounds. "It is unprecedented to, as a government, take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government," she told Sky News on Thursday. "The US has explained that these actions are actually counterproductive to securing that ceasefire and that peace, and the government should be paying attention to that." Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, says the style of sanctions imposed by the government was normally reserved for human rights abusers and terrorists. "The big question here is whether this is a new standard that will be applied to the public comments of officials from other countries," he told ABC Radio. "If this is the new standard, it will have serious implications for our international relations.". Middle East politics professor at Deakin University Shahram Akbarzadeh said the sanctions were a consequential step. "It is significant and it sends a signal that Australia is becoming more resolute in pursuing its foreign policy agenda of a two-state solution," he told AAP. "Australia would not have done this on its own, but when Australia sees other allied countries taking this move, that allows Australia to feel comfortable in numbers." Israel's ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said the sanctions were concerning and unacceptable. "These ministers are part of a government that operates under the principle of collective responsibility, making such measures unreasonable," he said in a statement. "The Israeli government will convene early next week to consider and determine our official response to these actions." Prof Akbarzadeh said the sanctions imposed by the Western allies would not alter how Israel would conduct itself in the conflict. "Israel has shown it does not take international opinion seriously, and this move is unlikely to deter the Israeli government in the way they're prosecuting the war in Gaza," he said. The latest eruption of war in Gaza was sparked by militant group Hamas killing about 1200 people and abducting 250 others in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's military response has since killed almost 55,000 mostly civilian Palestinians in Gaza, local health authorities say. Australia in July also sanctioned Israelis involved in attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank. Australia has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2001, according to the federal government's national security website.


The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Ex-premier slams MP's debt bid to ensure pre-selection
A former Liberal premier has criticised an MP over a proposed deal that would have put a whopping legal bill put on ice as part of a push to help her political career. Former Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto owes Liberal MP Moira Deeming $2.3 million in legal costs after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis who gatecrashed a Melbourne rally she attended in 2023. Mr Pesutto faces bankruptcy and a forced exit from parliament unless the money is paid or a payment plan sorted out within weeks. Mrs Deeming on Sunday proposed an offer that would spare Mr Pesutto bankruptcy if five demands were met, including she be endorsed for pre-selection before the next election. Liberal preselection is finalised through a vote of rank-and-file members and a special resolution would have been required in such a scenario. Victorian premier Jeff Kennett accused Mrs Deeming of failing to "understand how the party works" and described her bid for preselection unusual. Mr Kennett donated to Mr Pesutto's defence and wants the Liberal Party to pay part of the legal bill. "I really felt she has been terribly, badly advised so, to some degree, I feel very sorry for her," Mr Kennett told ABC Radio on Thursday. "The Liberal Party should never, ever contemplate throwing one of its own under a bus and, second, we've always got to do what's in the best interests of, in this case, the state and the party." In her letter to Mr Pesutto, his successor Brad Battin and Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis, Mrs Deeming said she was "dismayed" the party was considering a request to help the former leader meet his financial obligations. "It is because of the extraordinary support that I have received from rank-and-file members that I make this offer with the intention that the funds they have raised to fight the Labor Party remain solely directed to that important objective," she wrote. Mrs Deeming's other requests included the party release an unreserved apology and Mr Pesutto pay $750,000 he has raised so the rest of his debt is delayed until 2027. "I have suffered through a gruelling two-and-half years where almost every offer I made to negotiate a settlement was rejected," she wrote. A member of the public who was "outraged" by reports of the letter emailed Liberal MPs to reveal he referred the matter to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). Anyone can make a referral to IBAC but that does do not automatically trigger a full investigation. The man told AAP he was not a member of the Liberal Party but had been a member of three other political parties in the past. Mr Battin described Mrs Deeming's preselection request as "unusual" but said he could not comment on the offer or reports of the IBAC referral. Mrs Deeming has been contacted for comment. A former Liberal premier has criticised an MP over a proposed deal that would have put a whopping legal bill put on ice as part of a push to help her political career. Former Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto owes Liberal MP Moira Deeming $2.3 million in legal costs after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis who gatecrashed a Melbourne rally she attended in 2023. Mr Pesutto faces bankruptcy and a forced exit from parliament unless the money is paid or a payment plan sorted out within weeks. Mrs Deeming on Sunday proposed an offer that would spare Mr Pesutto bankruptcy if five demands were met, including she be endorsed for pre-selection before the next election. Liberal preselection is finalised through a vote of rank-and-file members and a special resolution would have been required in such a scenario. Victorian premier Jeff Kennett accused Mrs Deeming of failing to "understand how the party works" and described her bid for preselection unusual. Mr Kennett donated to Mr Pesutto's defence and wants the Liberal Party to pay part of the legal bill. "I really felt she has been terribly, badly advised so, to some degree, I feel very sorry for her," Mr Kennett told ABC Radio on Thursday. "The Liberal Party should never, ever contemplate throwing one of its own under a bus and, second, we've always got to do what's in the best interests of, in this case, the state and the party." In her letter to Mr Pesutto, his successor Brad Battin and Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis, Mrs Deeming said she was "dismayed" the party was considering a request to help the former leader meet his financial obligations. "It is because of the extraordinary support that I have received from rank-and-file members that I make this offer with the intention that the funds they have raised to fight the Labor Party remain solely directed to that important objective," she wrote. Mrs Deeming's other requests included the party release an unreserved apology and Mr Pesutto pay $750,000 he has raised so the rest of his debt is delayed until 2027. "I have suffered through a gruelling two-and-half years where almost every offer I made to negotiate a settlement was rejected," she wrote. A member of the public who was "outraged" by reports of the letter emailed Liberal MPs to reveal he referred the matter to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). Anyone can make a referral to IBAC but that does do not automatically trigger a full investigation. The man told AAP he was not a member of the Liberal Party but had been a member of three other political parties in the past. Mr Battin described Mrs Deeming's preselection request as "unusual" but said he could not comment on the offer or reports of the IBAC referral. Mrs Deeming has been contacted for comment. A former Liberal premier has criticised an MP over a proposed deal that would have put a whopping legal bill put on ice as part of a push to help her political career. Former Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto owes Liberal MP Moira Deeming $2.3 million in legal costs after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis who gatecrashed a Melbourne rally she attended in 2023. Mr Pesutto faces bankruptcy and a forced exit from parliament unless the money is paid or a payment plan sorted out within weeks. Mrs Deeming on Sunday proposed an offer that would spare Mr Pesutto bankruptcy if five demands were met, including she be endorsed for pre-selection before the next election. Liberal preselection is finalised through a vote of rank-and-file members and a special resolution would have been required in such a scenario. Victorian premier Jeff Kennett accused Mrs Deeming of failing to "understand how the party works" and described her bid for preselection unusual. Mr Kennett donated to Mr Pesutto's defence and wants the Liberal Party to pay part of the legal bill. "I really felt she has been terribly, badly advised so, to some degree, I feel very sorry for her," Mr Kennett told ABC Radio on Thursday. "The Liberal Party should never, ever contemplate throwing one of its own under a bus and, second, we've always got to do what's in the best interests of, in this case, the state and the party." In her letter to Mr Pesutto, his successor Brad Battin and Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis, Mrs Deeming said she was "dismayed" the party was considering a request to help the former leader meet his financial obligations. "It is because of the extraordinary support that I have received from rank-and-file members that I make this offer with the intention that the funds they have raised to fight the Labor Party remain solely directed to that important objective," she wrote. Mrs Deeming's other requests included the party release an unreserved apology and Mr Pesutto pay $750,000 he has raised so the rest of his debt is delayed until 2027. "I have suffered through a gruelling two-and-half years where almost every offer I made to negotiate a settlement was rejected," she wrote. A member of the public who was "outraged" by reports of the letter emailed Liberal MPs to reveal he referred the matter to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). Anyone can make a referral to IBAC but that does do not automatically trigger a full investigation. The man told AAP he was not a member of the Liberal Party but had been a member of three other political parties in the past. Mr Battin described Mrs Deeming's preselection request as "unusual" but said he could not comment on the offer or reports of the IBAC referral. Mrs Deeming has been contacted for comment. A former Liberal premier has criticised an MP over a proposed deal that would have put a whopping legal bill put on ice as part of a push to help her political career. Former Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto owes Liberal MP Moira Deeming $2.3 million in legal costs after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis who gatecrashed a Melbourne rally she attended in 2023. Mr Pesutto faces bankruptcy and a forced exit from parliament unless the money is paid or a payment plan sorted out within weeks. Mrs Deeming on Sunday proposed an offer that would spare Mr Pesutto bankruptcy if five demands were met, including she be endorsed for pre-selection before the next election. Liberal preselection is finalised through a vote of rank-and-file members and a special resolution would have been required in such a scenario. Victorian premier Jeff Kennett accused Mrs Deeming of failing to "understand how the party works" and described her bid for preselection unusual. Mr Kennett donated to Mr Pesutto's defence and wants the Liberal Party to pay part of the legal bill. "I really felt she has been terribly, badly advised so, to some degree, I feel very sorry for her," Mr Kennett told ABC Radio on Thursday. "The Liberal Party should never, ever contemplate throwing one of its own under a bus and, second, we've always got to do what's in the best interests of, in this case, the state and the party." In her letter to Mr Pesutto, his successor Brad Battin and Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis, Mrs Deeming said she was "dismayed" the party was considering a request to help the former leader meet his financial obligations. "It is because of the extraordinary support that I have received from rank-and-file members that I make this offer with the intention that the funds they have raised to fight the Labor Party remain solely directed to that important objective," she wrote. Mrs Deeming's other requests included the party release an unreserved apology and Mr Pesutto pay $750,000 he has raised so the rest of his debt is delayed until 2027. "I have suffered through a gruelling two-and-half years where almost every offer I made to negotiate a settlement was rejected," she wrote. A member of the public who was "outraged" by reports of the letter emailed Liberal MPs to reveal he referred the matter to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). Anyone can make a referral to IBAC but that does do not automatically trigger a full investigation. The man told AAP he was not a member of the Liberal Party but had been a member of three other political parties in the past. Mr Battin described Mrs Deeming's preselection request as "unusual" but said he could not comment on the offer or reports of the IBAC referral. Mrs Deeming has been contacted for comment.