Attacks on veteran MP force Victorian Liberal party to reissue campaign material
Liberal MPs and insiders have been infuriated by the publishing of a preselection candidate's blistering statement about a veteran MP. (Liberal Victoria)
In short:
The Victorian Liberal Party has censored candidate statements in a preselection contest following a scathing statement directed at a veteran MP.
Preselection candidate Manish Patel took aim at Member for Western Victoria Region Bev McArthur.
What's next?
The preselection convention for the Western Victoria Region will be held at the end of the month.
The Victorian Liberal Party has had to republish and censor statements from candidates in a hotly contested preselection after a challenger to senior MP Bev McArthur accused her of being "unempathetic, unprofessional, irresponsible".
The party is in the midst of selecting its upper house candidates for the November election and a swag of sitting MPs are being challenged, including Ms McArthur, who is upper house leader, as well as Moira Deeming and Ann-Marie Hermans.
As part of the preselection process party delegates are provided candidate profiles and statements.
Ms McArthur holds the top spot on the Liberal's ticket in the Western Victoria region — all but guaranteeing a spot in parliament — but she is facing multiple challenges, including from former Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan.
Former candidate slams MPs 'unprofessional' behaviour
Former federal candidate for Corio Manish Patel has also put up his hand and issued a blistering statement attacking Ms McArthur's behaviour.
"Most of the people in Western Region do not like Bec [sic] McArthur because of her arrogance and her attitude towards general Australians,'' his statement, distributed by party officials, said.
"Preselecting Bec [sic] McArthur again will give strong message to Victorians and Australians that the Liberal party approves her unempathetic — unprofessional — irresponsible behaviour and that we do not have compassion and empathy for people of indigenous background and any other Australians."
Bev McArthur has served as Member for the Western Victorian Region since 2018. (ABC News: Rudy De Santis)
Mr Patel accused the MP of making "very low-level" statements about Indigenous people, following comments she made two years ago.
The fact Mr Patel's diatribe was allowed to be published by the party in the first place has infuriated some MPs and party members, who say it is an unnecessary distraction and a sloppy piece of administration.
Mr Patel and other candidates have also criticised the incumbent's leadership in Western Victoria, pointing to decline Liberal support and the loss of seats.
In an email to delegates, state director Allyson Hannam reissued the candidate booklet with Mr Patel's character critique of Ms McArthur removed.
She said an applicant seeking endorsement had breached the party's constitution.
"This applicant made had made remarks that are of a personal nature that have demeaned another applicant,'' Ms Hannam said.
"To ensure procedural fairness for all applicants the candidate booklet has now been updated to ensure that statements from all applicants are only related to their own candidacies and not other applicants."
Manish Patel unsuccessfully contested the 2022 federal election on a Liberal ticket. (Facebook)
Mr Patel, who migrated from India, also hit out at the party's relationship with Victoria's multicultural communities.
"Australian people of multicultural background do not buy Liberals' issues like state debt, higher cost of living, crime because we come from very tough background. Australia is still a great place to live compared to where we come from,'' he wrote.
"We need a real representation of multi-culture/migrant community without upsetting our Liberal (right wing) voters."
Liberal party split on veteran MP's future
Candidates are prohibited from talking to the media about preselection under party rules. Ms McArthur and Mr Patel were contacted for comment by the ABC.
Opinion is divided among MPs about whether Ms McArthur, a political veteran and factional warrior, will survive the challenge with a concerted effort to unseat her. But the MP does enjoy the support of opposition leader Jess Wilson.
The preselection has split the Liberal party, with prominent party members backing different candidates. (Liberal Victoria)
In a sign of how hotly contested the preselection is, former premier Denis Napthine has endorsed Mr Sullivan for the number one spot on the ticket.
"Trent has a great record of community involvement and real leadership. He offers a new positive future for our Party across our Region and our State,'' Dr Napthine wrote in Mr Sullivan's election pamphlet.
Dr Napthine held the seat of South-West Coast, which sits within the region, and is the most prominent Liberal endorsing a challenge on a sitting MP.
A Liberal Party spokesperson said it was "pleased at the interest we continue to have from Victorians wanting to run for the Liberal party and change the government in November".
"Preselections are an important time for candidates to speak positively on their reasons for running,'' they said.
The preselection convention for the Western Victoria Region will be held at the end of the month.