By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Upper House MP Kaushaliya Vaghela has returned fire in a war of words with Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams, denying she is a “proxy of a man”.
Ms Vaghela released a statement on Twitter on 10 March calling for Ms Williams – who is the Minister for Women – to “grow up and stop calling me names”.
“To accuse me of being a proxy of a man insinuates that Ms Williams has little regard for my intelligence either because I am a woman or because of my skin colour and my accent or both.”
Describing herself as a “strong independent woman who does not like being told what to do by anyone let alone a man”, Ms Vaghela said she had two Master degrees and spoke three languages.
“I ask the Minister for Women to stop perpetuating sexist and racist stereotypes that are not based on fact: that is that women need men to think for them or that skin colour and an accent is a sign of intelligence and degree of personal autonomy.”
The day before, Ms Williams described Ms Vaghela’s claims in Parliament of systematic bullying as “politically motivated”.
“More than 18 months ago I was the subject of a vile and vicious misogynistic tirade by Adem Somyurek, which was broadcast on national television,” Ms Williams stated.
“That attack is now being continued in the media and in Parliament, by proxy.
“I vehemently repudiate these politically motivated allegations.”
Ms Vaghela had said Ms Williams and Premier Daniel Andrews were being part of a “systematic bullying campaign against me”.
She accused Ms Williams of calling her a ‘rat’ for the past three years.
Ms Vaghela had earlier in the week resigned from the Labor Party. She and a swathe of factional allies had already lost pre-selection for the 2022 state election.
She was facing ejection from the party after recently crossing the floor of Parliament to support her former factional ally and ex-Labor MP Adem Somyurek’s motion for IBAC to investigate the ALP red shirts rorting scandal.
