Controversial Liberal candidate Katherine Deves is once again causing a stir amid claims she created a ‘s*** storm’ in the lead up to a ‘politics in the pub’ event on Sydney’s northern beaches.
The lawyer, 44, who was handpicked by Scott Morrison to run in the marginal seat of Warringah against Independent MP Zali Steggall, attended the public function on Friday night at Forestville RSL.
Ms Deves — who has generated plenty of headlines after her social media posts on trans people — was billed to speak alongside fellow Liberal Jason Falinski, the Member for Mackellar.
Promoted as a ‘Politics at the Pub’ event, it quickly descended into a farce when journalists at the scene were informed it was invite only, with staff at the RSL reportedly told to turn reporters away.
Ms Deves eventually arrived – almost 30 minutes after the event began – and made the following statement.
‘I have fought for women and children and now I’m fighting for Warringah. Thank you for coming along tonight. I’m looking forward to campaigning hard over the next four weeks and on the issues that affect the people in the room.’
Controversial Liberal candidate Katherine Deves is once again generating headlines amid claims she created a ‘s*** storm’ in the lead up to a political event on Sydney’s northern beaches on Friday
Local club member Norris Smith (pictured) was escorted from the venue after he told fellow members at the RSL comments from Ms Deves on trans people has seen an increase in patients at a nearby psychology clinic
She then refused to take any questions and further chaos followed when local club member Norris Smith was asked to leave the venue.
Mr Smith earlier told other people in the room that Ms Deves’ comments on Twitter had seen an increase in patients at his relative’s nearby psychology clinic.
‘I am 66. It’s the first time I’ve actually been thrown out of any venue that serves alcohol in my life,’ he told news.com.au.
‘My son works in mental health. He’s 29. He works with kids 12 to 25 and he said ‘this just caused a s***storm for us’.
‘It’s upsetting everyone. And to compare them with the f**king Nazis for Christ’s sake. She (Deves) is a disgrace.’
Ms Deves has become a divisive figure following a number of provocative comments on her Twitter account – which she has since deleted.
She once declared trans teenagers are ‘surgically mutilated’ and felt personally ‘triggered’ by the rainbow Pride flag.
She also bizarrely linked cross-dressing males and and trans women to ‘sexual predators, even serial killers’.
‘Transvestism is very common among sexual predators, even serial killers,’ she said in a historical tweet.
‘So how are we women supposed to tell the difference between the ones who are a threat and the ones who aren’t? Easier for women to exclude all males from spaces where we are vulnerable.’
Last September Ms Deves described the prospect of two gay men having a baby as a ‘vanity project.’
‘Surrogacy is a human rights violation,’ she tweeted. ‘Women’s bodies are not vehicles for a vanity project.’
Ms Deves was referring to Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay U.S. presidential candidate, and his husband, who are joint fathers of twin girls.
Katherine Deves (pictured with her family) has vowed she’s ‘not going anywhere’, despite growing calls within the Liberal party for her to be disendorsed
Ms Deves (pictured) has apologised for the wording used in some previous tweets, but many have called for her to stand down from her election candidacy in Warringah
In another tweet, Ms Deves said ‘transablism’ – where trans people pretend to be disabled – is ‘a thing’ and likened people in that category to a well-known serial killer.
‘Didn’t (infamous serial killer) Ted Bundy pretend to be injured to garner sympathy?’ she asked.
In tweets that resurfaced just after the Prime Minister endorsed her for the seat of Warringah, Ms Deves said transgender children who underwent sex reassignment surgery were ‘surgically mutilated and sterilised’.
She shared a picture of a trans American teenager in November who had just had breasts removed and wrote: ‘This photo just hit my feed. It is beyond heartbreaking.’
In a second tweet she added: ‘They will not stand for seeing vulnerable children surgically mutilated and sterilised in futherance of an unattainable idea.
‘The lawsuits will be legion, as will the government inquiries. Complete failure of safeguarding. Mark my words.’
The original image had been shared on social media by a parent of the teenager who underwent the breast removal.
The caption read: ‘So we are on day 10 post op, keyhole. Just got home from my son getting his drains out. Wow, he went from misery of post op to YAY! NO TITTIES!!! Anyway, he 100% gave permission to share this pic’.
Earlier this week, Mr Morrison stood by his ‘captain’s pick’ and said Ms Deves – labelled by some people a ‘bigot’ on social media – would make a ‘great member of parliament’.
‘She is standing up for women and girls and their access to fair sport in this country,’ the PM said.
‘She has learned in her advocacy in her private life there are better ways to do things to take things forward as a Member of Parliament.
‘I believe that is how she will approach the task if she is elected as the member for Warringah, and I don’t think she should be silenced.’
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