Over in the Federation Chamber today, Mark Dreyfus, the former attorney-general, has taken aim at Tim Wilson (who, much like Cher, Madonna and Miss Piggy has become known with a single moniker on social media – ‘Timbecile’) for his campaign during the election.
Dreyfus defended the former independent member, Zoe Daniel, for how she handled herself during what he said was a brutal campaign in what is the spill over chamber for the house of representatives (where extra debates and speeches are held, so as not to overwhelm and delay house of rep business)
Dreyfus:
Goldstein was one of the most closely connected contested electorates in the nation. Following a recount, the Liberal candidate, now the member for Goldstein, Mr. Tim Wilson, was elected by a margin of just 175 votes.
Yet throughout the campaign, there were repeated incidents involving Mr. Wilson’s campaign volunteers that fell well short of the standard of behavior Australians expect.
These included verbal abuse of volunteers working for other candidates, threats of violence and even death threats against public fear.
Yes, this conduct was clearly intended to intimidate. One incident reported involving a Liberal campaigner of verbally abusing two young women, one just 17 years old, calling them ‘little scum’.
Another involved a threat of extreme violence, including a death threat directed at the Premier of Victoria and then member for Goldstein Zoe Daniels.
Mr. Wilson did not condemn these incidents. He made excuses instead of accepting responsibility and taking immediate action to remove and hold those responsible accountable. He even attempted to justify one of these incidents, absurdly suggesting his campaign volunteer had low blood sugar levels on Election Day.
Private security personnel needed to be engaged in the electorate of Goldstein to ensure the safety of volunteers and prevent vandalism by Mr. Wilson’s campaign team. The conduct of Mr. Wilson’s campaign has undermined both the fairness and the safety of the election process.
