Mr. Martin has been expelled from the Parliamentary Liberal Party due to his behavior, which was deemed unacceptable by the party. The decision was made after a complaint was made almost a year ago, and supporters of Martin are disappointed by the party’s delayed response. The former MP was accused of sending derogatory messages to his ex-partner, calling her insulting names, including a “dumb slut”, “pig”, and other offensive terms. These messages were made public in July last year, leading to Martin stepping aside from the party room during the investigation.
Taylor, a supporter of Martin, expressed shock and disappointment over the decision to expel him from the party. Supporters of Martin had reportedly tried to discredit the allegations made against him, claiming they were baseless, and felt that the party had allowed this narrative to continue by not acting more swiftly. The party’s expectation for MPs to uphold high standards of behavior was cited as the reason for Martin’s expulsion. However, Wicks, the recipient of the derogatory messages, declined to comment on the matter.
Martin had served as Wicks’ electorate officer before entering state parliament as the youngest member in 2017. He is a member of the Centre-Right faction within the party. The derogatory messages he sent to Wicks were described as part of an “ugly and undignified” break-up, with Martin admitting to using heated words but emphasizing that there are “two sides to every story”. Despite these explanations, the party deemed his behavior unfit for a member of the Parliamentary Liberal Party.
The content of the messages exchanged between Martin and Wicks was made public and caused outrage due to the derogatory and offensive nature of Martin’s language. The texts included insults such as “dumb slut”, “pig”, “f—wit”, “sicko”, “f—ing idiot”, and “c—.” One message suggested Wicks to stay in her “world of f—ing make believe” in a particularly harsh tone. The party’s decision to expel Martin has left the Coalition with 14 seats in parliament, compared to Labor’s 15 seats, impacting the balance of power and representation in the legislature.
Martin’s move to the crossbench following his expulsion from the Parliamentary Liberal Party has further altered the dynamics within the Coalition and its relation to the opposition Labor party. The fallout from the public release of the derogatory messages and the subsequent expulsion of Martin has highlighted the importance of upholding high standards of behavior for MPs and politicians in public office. The episode serves as a reminder of the consequences of inappropriate conduct within political circles and the impact it can have on individuals and party dynamics. The incident has also underscored the significance of timely and appropriate responses to complaints and allegations within political organizations.
