Slanging match as Liberal battle lines drawn at women’s council AGM
A controversial anti-abortion lobbyist and ex-Labor member headlined the Liberal Women’s Council AGM last night, with claims doors were locked and barbs exchanged.
Anti-abortion lobbyist Joanna Howe said there were “fireworks” at last night’s Liberal Women’s Council Annual General Meeting, after she joined conservative federal backbencher Alex Antic to headline the event.
The controversial speaker was given free rein to film her panel discussion with conservative Liberal Senator Alex Antic at the event, as voting saw a conservative clean sweep of new women’s council leaders, with 200 votes to 70 backing conservative voices including new president, Irena Zagladov – a Tea Tree Gully councillor.
Women’s council – which gets 13 votes on picking the party’s next state president – was expected to back Antic to be voted in as the next state party president at the August 29 Annual General Meeting.
InDaily understands Howe was given approval by State Liberal Director Alex Hyde to film her onstage interview with Antic at the event to create content for her YouTube platform, specifying the business of the meeting and its participants were not to be filmed.
Former Attorney General Vickie Chapman attempted to stop the event being filmed, but her bid was lost.
Howe – who was ejected as a member of the Labor Party recently – claimed in a post to social media on Tuesday night that there was an attempt to “disrupt proceedings” by moderate Liberals she described as “the old guard led by feminist dinosaur Vickie Chapman”.
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InDaily understands that after Chapman’s bid to stop filming was lost, Howe went on to criticise Chapman on stage, along with moderate sitting member Michelle Lensink and current state president Leah Blyth at the event, plus federal Liberal Leader Angus Taylor.
Chapman was South Australia’s first female Deputy Premier and Attorney-General in 2018 under the Marshall Liberal Government, where she served until 2022.
Howe told InDaily today that she was “not a member of the Liberal Party” and “had no plans to make a donation to the Liberal Party”; she claimed Chapman and a cohort “exited the building” after the bid to stop filming was lost.
“It was an extraordinary show of support for free speech,” Howe said.
A source, who was one of about 300 attendees, said these events were usually private, and it “was highly irregular in inviting someone who was a member of the Labor Party”.
The source claimed “women left the meeting upset” and the doors were locked.
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“This is not consistent with what the Liberal Party stands for,” she said.
InDaily contacted Chapman, Lensink and Blyth for comment.
It comes as nominations to run for the Liberal Party state presidency close this Friday at 5pm, with Antic currently running unopposed.
Antic is expected to be a shoo-in for the SA party’s top job, after current state president Blyth said “it has never been my intention to seek a third term” last week.
A source who chose to remain anonymous told InDaily the proceedings at last night’s meeting showed deepening fractures between moderates and conservatives.
He said it was “embarrassing” and “can you believe this is the party of [former Prime Minister Robert] Menzies?”
The source said he expected hundreds to leave the party or let their memberships lapse if Antic was elected president.
Antic and the Liberal Women’s Council were contacted for comment.
A senior Liberal Party source previously told InDaily the moderates “have a non-existent talent pipeline, which is their biggest problem”.
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