03.57 pm, Wednesday February 10 2010

'Hot Liberal women' blog sparks disapproval

06:00 AEST Fri May 22 2009
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Abigail Shead (University of Sydney Liberal Club, left) and Gemma Brooks (Macquarie University Club).
Abigail Shead (University of Sydney Liberal Club, left) and Gemma Brooks (Macquarie University Club).

A website featuring racy pictures of the "hottest" young female Liberals has been slammed by members of the party.

Malcolm Turnbull's media adviser Lis Davies and former NSW Upper House staffer Eleni Petinos featured on the blog along with several young University Liberal Club women, including some wearing bikinis.

PHOTOS: Young Liberals not so conservative

One poses on a steel pole wearing stocking suspenders, while another smiles for the camera while lying on a bed in a short skirt and high heels.

"To put it simply, we have all the hot girls," Washington-based creator of the page and member of the Young Liberals' Ashfield branch Tim Andrews wrote.

"Well, judge for yourself. I present to you the conservative and libertarian girls of Australia!"

But the attempt to sex-up the conservative party has been criticised by several Liberal heavyweights.

"I find it a disappointing and unacceptable posting," the Daily Telegraph reported NSW Liberal leader Barry O'Farrell as saying

"I am offended by the some of the blog responses."

Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Shadow Community Services Minister Pru Goward agreed that the website was inappropriate.

"I'm disappointed that he's misjudged the importance of a political party like ours, which for so long has defended the dignity of men and women," Ms Goward said.

"We do need to recruit young people … and I commend Tim for having a go, but I think that we have to remember that people join political parties because of the facts, not the figures."

Several photos, including the modest snaps of Ms Davies and Ms Petinos, have been removed amid reported debate over Mr Andrews' claims he had received permission from all women featured.

Young Labor representatives labelled the website a "last-ditch attempt" by their rivals to recruit members and said that Labor supporters would never partake in such an "offensive" activity.

"[If] anyone in the ALP even suggested something like that at a meeting, they would be ripped to pieces," Senior Vice President of Australian Young Labor Beth Edwards said.

"You're not going to encourage any women to join based on that."

Ms Edwards said the blog may attract the wrong type of men to the party.

"Are they joining because they have a genuine interest in politics … or because they think they're going to get lucky if they come to Young Liberal events?"

Janai Tabbernor, President of NSW Young Labor, called on Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull to publicly condemn the blog.

"In the current context of a serious debate around the behaviour of some footballers, this is completely unacceptable," Ms Tabbernor said.

"This clearly shows how out of touch the Liberal Party is with young women."

Mr Andrews has since responded to the storm of criticism, saying those who are offended should "do us all a favour and grow a humour bone".

 
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