Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee with her deputy Leanne Castley at Canberra Hospital today. Ms Lee said Ms Castley took questions on Wednesday while she was busy at the Seniors Expo and with other candidates. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee has rejected claims she was hiding from media on Wednesday in the wake of the revelations about a Liberal candidate’s contentious social media posts and the leaking of a video designed to damage disendorsed candidate Elizabeth Kikkert.
Ms Lee, who was unavailable to media all day, told a press conference at Canberra Hospital on Liberal health policy that it was always the plan for her to visit the Seniors Expo and candidates’ mobile offices while her Deputy, Leanne Castley, announced the party’s plan to boost elective surgeries.
“I had a great day yesterday talking to hundreds of Canberrans about the issues that affect them directly,” Ms Lee said.
“We issued a statement, the Deputy Leader was available to answer questions and I’ll point you to the fact that every time anything has happened, I have always fronted the media.
“So I utterly reject the notion that I haven’t.”
Ms Lee said the views of Ginninderra candidate Darren Roberts, as expressed in social media posts under the name Bert Poppins, were not the views of the Canberra Liberals or her own views.
She had spoken to Mr Roberts and he understood that the posts did not align with her or the party’s views, but he would remain on the ticket.
“He’s an endorsed candidate, the ballot has been done so it’ll be up to the people of Gininnderra as to whether they vote for him.”
Asked whether she could work with Mr Roberts, Ms Lee said there were always diverse views in political parties and she would have to see how the election went when there would be a further discussion.
Ms Lee stood by the party’s decision to dump Mrs Kikkert, agreeing the video played a significant role, but it was up to the division whether a full version could be released.
She said she had not seen the video before it made its way into the media, and Canberrans would make up their own minds about it.
Ms Lee brushed off questions about the campaign in Ginninderra being in disarray, saying that no one had asked about these issues when she was out and about on Wednesday.
“The voters are concerned about the cost-of-living prices,” she said.
“They’re concerned about the fact that they can’t access housing.
“They’re concerned about the fact that they have continually been told by this government many, many promises in relation to fixing the health system, education, housing, cost of living and community safety, and this is a government that has not followed through.
“That’s what I’m hearing from voters.”
Chief Minister Andrew Barr rounded on the Canberra Liberals, calling them a rabble.
Mr Barr said Mr Roberts’ Facebook views bubbled away under the surface of the membership of the Canberra Liberals every single day.
“We see this not just with Mr Roberts, with Elizabeth Kikkert, with a number of other Liberal candidates and members and staff in their public discourse,” he said.
“Mostly, they do it under their own name, so it’s pretty clear who it is and where they’re coming from, but the fundamental issue here is the conservatism, the racism, the transphobia that’s sitting behind all of this, and it’s not just one candidate.
“It’s endemic within the Liberal Party, particularly in the ACT.”
Mr Barr said Mr Roberts should be disendorsed.
He said Ms Lee had been endeavouring to suppress these sorts of views but not very effectively, and she was now on to her third Deputy Leader.
“One quit the Assembly entirely, another she sacked, she’s expelled Elizabeth Kikkert, Nicole Lawder’s retired, Alistair Coe left the parliament as well.
“There’s not much left of the Canberra Liberals. How could they possibly form a government with this rabble?”
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