2 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
The Liberal Party women's network some forgot even existed
A bigger problem for the network might be its messenger. Senator Jane Hume, who co-authored the 2022 election review, is its chair. But Hume, a frontbencher during Peter Dutton's leadership, is firmly on the out, and was dumped from new opposition leader Sussan Ley's ministry.
Hume had a patchy performance during the recent election campaign, where she made inflammatory comments about 'Chinese spies' helping Labor and was at the centre of the Liberals' botched 'back to the office' pitch.
The Liberals didn't respond to questions about whether she'd remain as chair, and the senator didn't return our calls. But the MGN network chair is a job Hume hasn't lost. She was appointed by outgoing party president John Olsen, and told CBD from the UK that she was looking at the British Conservatives' mechanisms to successfully improve female representation in the 2010s.
Joshing around
Hillel Fuld, the controversial Israeli tech bro influencer, blogger, vlogger, and father of five, will not be able to speak in person at the Magen David Adom Australia medical fundraisers in Melbourne and Sydney. The pesky feds have stepped in and cancelled his visa.
For those who came late, the Department of Home Affairs decided Fuld's history of Islamophobic remarks had the potential to 'incite discord' and 'would or might be a risk to the good order of the Australian community', according to a leaked copy of its decision to revoke his visa.
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Fuld attracts sympathy among some in the Jewish community because his brother was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist. However, it's fair to say some thought he was an unusual choice for MDA Australia, fundraising for Israel's national emergency medical ambulance and blood bank service, which has about 1000 employees but nearly 30,000 volunteers and is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Fuld will appear via video link, but handily, MDA Australia has lined up additional talent, 'a great speaker and a great friend of MDA Australia', as the charity's Glynis Lipson told CBD.
Step forward Josh Frydenberg, the former deputy leader of the Liberal Party and ex-federal treasurer, who these days is enjoying civilian life as chairman of Goldman Sachs' Australian business. Frydenberg told CBD he was not endorsing Fuld, but was certainly endorsing MDA and its charity work.
It's bound to be quite the address.
As CBD, who was present during Frydenberg's address at investor James Baillieu's rebel literary garden party during the Sorrento Writer's Festival, Josh can really turn it up to 11.
Crashing in
Interesting to note that Israeli MP Sharren Haskel has been weighing into the Fund visa controversy, telling The Australian newspaper: 'The banning of high-profile Israelis from Australia must stop. This is no way for an ally to act.'
Haskel is the deputy foreign minister of Israel and closely attuned to Australian politics. Possibly because her senior adviser is none other than former Victorian state Liberal MP Tim Smith, whose career ended in a literal car crash when he drove his Jaguar into a suburban fence after getting on the turps a little too enthusiastically back in 2021.
Ever zealous, Smith has attempted to generate interest in Haskel by reaching out to some of his old Melbourne Facebook contacts and suggesting that they like Haskel's Facebook page. Cute.
