Liberal leader Sussan Ley's top aide joined all-male Australian Club
New Opposition Leader Sussan Ley made history when she became the Liberal Party's first female leader.
And Ley's chief of staff, Dean Shachar, is making history of his own as one of the youngest people to hold the top position in the party leader's office.
Ley's decision to retain Shachar in one of the party's most powerful staffing roles raised a few eyebrows, with doubters wondering whether the 30-year-old former University of Sydney student politician was experienced enough for the job. For the record, CBD has no problems with youth.
There's no question that Shachar is a man in a hurry.
Last year, he sought membership of the all-male Australian Club in Sydney and was accepted. Ley wasn't yet leader, but she was the most senior Liberal woman at the time, and the optics of Shachar seeking a membership of the old boys' club haven't been lost among party critics.
Both Shachar and Ley's office declined to comment.
The club might be the only institution in Australia with a worse record on gender than the Liberal Party. The club's members overwhelmingly voted to keep women out in 2021. But it still remains a pretty good ticket for any ambitious Liberal hack hoping to network with the big end of town and party elders.
Former prime ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull are members. And in recent years, there's been a flurry of men from the blue team joining up. That includes newly unemployed Peter Dutton, former minister and ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos, ex-NSW frontbenchers David Elliott and Stuart Ayres, and current MPs James Griffin and Anthony Roberts.
Not on that list is former prime minister Scott Morrison, brutally snubbed by the Australian Club when he sought membership last year. Rather hilariously, Morrison used to be Shachar's boss – he worked in the then prime minister's media team before the 2022 election.
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Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Australia made ‘irrelevant' after US strikes on Iran: Sharma
Australia's former ambassador to Israel and Liberal senator Dave Sharma says Anthony Albanese has made Australia 'irrelevant' after the US launched strikes on Iran and the Prime Minister failed to secure a meeting with Donald Trump. Speaking to Sky on Monday, Senator Sharma said while Australia never had a 'huge' amount of influence, 'we've largely made ourselves irrelevant through this conflict'. 'I mean, look, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese didn't have a meeting with Trump where this would have obviously come up if he'd had a discussion,' he said. 'We had Richard Marles on the television yesterday calling for de-escalation at the very same time, almost, that US B-2 bombers (were) flying from Missouri (and) were striking nuclear targets in Iran.' He said Labor had 'dealt ourselves out of a traditional role' as being a contributor and 'major player' in international discussions. 'No one listens to our views seriously anymore in the on these issues, particularly in the Middle East,' he said. '(On) Israel, the relationship with this government is very bad. 'The United States, we don't yet seem to have a relationship with the new Trump administration, or at least key parts of it.' Hastie lashes 'flat-footed' Albo Acting opposition foreign affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie has accused Mr Albanese of a 'flat-footed' response to the US attack and having poor instincts on the issue. Speaking to ABC Radio National on Monday morning, Mr Hastie said he was happy to see his counterpart Penny Wong had backed in the US on the strikes however the delayed response demonstrated Mr Albanese' mismanagement. 'I'm glad we have bipartisanship on this—that the world, as she said, has agreed Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon,' he said. 'We support action to prevent that, which is why we supported the US strikes yesterday. I think, though, what yesterday demonstrated was that the Prime Minister is flat-footed. 'His instincts aren't great on this, and he should have called an NSC meeting yesterday for an event of such significance. Instead, it's happening this morning.' Mr Hastie added the strikes 'needed to happen' in order to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. 'Iran would not come to the table, and the risk of them getting a nuclear weapon was huge, and it was a direct threat to regional stability and world peace,' he said. 'Intelligence agencies will debate when Iran planned to break out and put all the componentry together and have an actual nuclear weapon. 'But the risk was there, and that's why action was taken, and I think that's the context in which we need to see the strikes that took place yesterday.' Albo's 'deathly silence' blasted Nationals leader David Littleproud and independent Jacqui Lambie have also called on Mr Albanese to address Australia's stance on the conflict and US involvement. Mr Littleproud labelled Mr Albanese not having made a public statement as of Monday morning a 'deathly silence'. 'This was a decisive, strategic act that will make the world safer,' Mr Littleproud said. 'Now, we don't want to see a protracted conflict. And it sounds as though the United States doesn't want to be involved in a protracted Middle East conflict. 'There's no way in the world that we could get ourselves involved in that. 'We do need to be able to defend ourselves first when we've got Virgin pilots finding Chinese ships in our waters. There is an underinvestment here that needs to be rectified.' Mr Littleproud claimed the move showed the government was trying to 'sit on the fence' due to domestic politics. Senator Lambie urged against committing Australian forces that were 'not ready'. 'What I do know is that Trump said, 'You've got two weeks', and within 48 hours you took them out,' she said. 'So if there was any sort of relationship still ongoing there that is now gone, that's the first thing. 'I think the other thing is that you Americans said you weren't going back into a war in the Middle East. Well, you just went back in.' 'But what I will say is that we certainly can't back you up this time, and we don't owe you anything.' 'I say this to (Mr Albanese) – we are not fit for purpose to be involved in any war. The most that you can offer anywhere around the world right now is peacekeepers. 'Do not follow the USA into this war for 20 years – (our troops] are not ready.' 'Time for clarity': Ex-PM's call On Sunday, former prime minister Scott Morrison accused the Albanese Labor government of not showing enough 'clarity' on the Israel-Iran conflict. 'I think there's been far too much ambiguity about this from Australia, far too much ambiguity, and it's time for clarity,' Mr Morrison said. 'And the clarity is we were dealing with a theocratic authoritarian state that had sponsored an attack on close friends in Israel back on the seventh of October, and they have shown their true colours, and Iran is not a friend of Australia.' Mr Morrison echoed these sentiments while speaking to 2GB's Ben Fordham on Monday morning, saying the evening news was the time to 'ensure that response was made clear'. 'When things are as they are, Australia 'When things are as they are, Australia needs to know where it stands and its allies need to know where Australia stands. I think that's why clarity is so important,' he said. Following reports Mr Albanese would give comment after a National Security Committee meeting on Monday, Mr Morrison said it could have met earlier but hoped they would 'come out with a very strong statement in support of our allies'. More to come Originally published as Liberal senator Dave Sharma says Aus made 'irrelevant' after US strikes on Iran
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
‘Irrelevant:' Fears for Aus amid Trump strikes
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Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Penny Wong defends 24 hour delay for Albanese government's backing of US strikes on Iran after omission of 'support' from initial statement
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has insisted the government was 'very clear' in its support for US strikes against Iran after an initial statement did not use the word 'support'. After US President Donald Trump confirmed the strikes against Iran, the Albanese government issued a statement calling for 'de-escalation'. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Ms Wong said the government 'supports action' to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. 'Australia has been clear, along with the international community, that Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,' she told reporters at Parliament House. 'We support action to prevent that from occurring and this is what this was.' Foreign Minister Penny Wong has imposed sanctions on two members of the Netanyahu government for inciting violence. Her comments mark a notable shift in tone from the carefully worded government statement released on Sunday. That initial statement did not include any reference to Australia 'supporting' the US action. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was expected to hold a press conference on Sunday but this did not happen. 'We have been clear that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security,' a government spokesperson said on Sunday. 'We note the US President's statement that now is the time for peace. The security situation in the region is highly volatile. 'We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.' The statement also advised Australians in the region to follow local safety advice and that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) was preparing to assist. Asked on Monday why it took almost 24 hours for the government to express support for the United States, Ms Wong defended the government's response. 'I think if you look at our statement released by the government yesterday, we made clear what we have always said,' she said. 'The international community, including Australia, has long believed that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon. I think that was very clear.' Despite Ms Wong's assurances, the opposition has seized on what it describes as a failure of leadership and clarity from the Albanese government. Liberal senator Hollie Hughes told Sky News on Monday that it was 'embarrassing' that the Albanese government took 24 hours to support the United States. 'All Australians should be absolutely embarrassed by the fact that one of our strongest allies, yet we've had deafening silence,' she said. President Trump hailed the military strikes as a 'spectacular military success', as the US directly entered the Middle East conflict. He claimed that key enrichment facilities had been 'completely and totally obliterated' and warned Iran to 'make peace immediately or they'll get hit again'. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had earlier confirmed Iran was in breach of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. The Albanese government has consistently called for de-escalation and diplomacy in the conflict. Ms Wong's comments on Monday came alongside a consular update, confirming more than 4000 Australians in Iran and Israel have asked for assistance to leave. Iranian airspace remains closed, though Australian officials have been deployed to the Azerbaijani border to support citizens who reach it by land. 'The situation is very difficult. Airspace remains closed — certainly in Iran. It is a very difficult situation,' Ms Wong said. 'In relation to Israel, there are reports that the airspace may open for a limited period… the situation on the ground is uncertain and fluid and risky.'
