The director of the Victorian Liberals, Stuart Smith, has resigned after leaked WhatsApp messages revealed he mocked the party's women's council and an upper house MP. Smith stepped down on Thursday morning and apologised for the comments, which were published by the Australian on Wednesday night.
In the messages, Smith ridiculed the Liberal Women's Council, stating that resolutions at a meeting were only reached 'after two men told them they had to'. He also posted a photo of a martini with the caption 'F U LWCV', an abbreviation for the council. In a separate exchange, he shared a video of MP Bev McArthur waving an Australian flag with the comment 'here's Bev with dementia'.
Smith said in a statement: 'In the best interests of the party I have tendered my resignation to minimise distractions from the important task of winning the next election. I regret the comments and have apologised for them.' Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin described the resignation as 'the right thing to do', adding that the comments were 'unacceptable' and did not reflect the party's standards.
The opposition police spokesperson, David Southwick, called the remarks 'inappropriate' and denied parliamentary involvement in Smith's resignation. Deputy upper house leader Evan Mulholland also condemned the comments as 'completely unacceptable'. Labor minister Danny Pearson said the scandal proved the Liberal party was 'deeply divided', questioning their ability to govern the state.
Smith's departure comes ahead of the party's state council meeting this weekend, where the president position is up for re-election. Preselections for the November 2026 state election will follow.
