Hitler video upsets liberals
Two political careers appear to be in tatters over a
YouTube video which shows Aussie backbencher
Alex Hawke as Adolf Hitler.
The party's state president, Nick Campbell,
warned of ''decisive disciplinary action'' against those responsible for the
clip which shows Hawke as a ranting Hitler berating aides for failing to wipe
out the forces of factional rival David Clarke. Clarke staffer Charles Perrottet stood down from his job
over the weekend after the Herald revealed that he and Thomas Tudehope had been
linked in emails to the video clip.
Mr Tudehope had been the online media adviser to the
federal Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull but also resigned. Clarke
pleads the party's ultra-conservative wing and he
and Hawke, have had a bit of a tiff over control of state Liberal
preselections. It seems that by backing the YouTube video the various
supporters have shown that the Liberals are spending a lot of time and
effort in
factional politics. They can't really have a direct pop at each other,
but
instead are doing it through YouTube and other guerilla Internet
campaigns.
It all came to light when an email chain obtained by the
Herald linked Perrottet, Tudehope and a
third Liberal insider to intimate knowledge of the Hitler video and its
propagation. Perrottet claimed the emails were doctored.