Liberal resigns over Danby slur

A MEMBER of the Liberal Party has been forced to resign his membership after setting up a “fake Michael Danby” website.

The site, which its developer Philip Leahy said was “a place to discuss the performance of Michael Danby”, included tasteless postings saying Danby likes to be referred to “as the unofficial minister for Israel” and accusing him of speaking out against Chinese human rights abuses “so he won’t be asked about the Palestinians”.

Danby, the Labor Member for Melbourne Ports, alerted a range of communications authorities to the website, asking to have it removed from the internet.
However, upon hearing of the site, the Victorian branch of the Liberal Party quickly saw that it was shut down.

“Shortly after the site was drawn to my attention it was taken down,” Victorian Liberal Party director Tony Nutt told The AJN.

Following the party’s edict to remove the site, Leahy resigned his Liberal Party membership.

Nutt also emphasised that Danby’s Liberal opponent in Melbourne Ports, Kevin Ekendahl, did not condone the website.

“The Liberal candidate for Melbourne Ports had no involvement in the matter,” the director said.

Responding to news the site was no longer in the public domain, Danby praised the Liberal Party’s quick action.

“I think Tony Nutt is a man of honour,” he said. “But I think it is a vindication of us taking it up.”

The ALP stalwart said he hoped dirty tactics would not be given a place in the battle for Melbourne Ports, adding he had met Ekendahl and found him to be “quite pleasant”.

There is a growing trend, for fans and critics of politicians to set up “fake” websites, Twitter accounts and Facebook pages for their loved, or loathed MPs. The most famous was “fake Stephen Conroy”, a prolific, satiric tweeter, who was outed as Telstra executive Leslie Nasser.

NAOMI LEVIN