A National senator criticized for drinking before slurring her words in Parliament had a bizarre image of a woman drowning in a glass of red wine as her Facebook profile picture.
Nationals deputy leader Perin Davey denied being drunk when she stumbled over her words at a Senate committee hearing last week. A spokesman insisted it was “pathetic” to suggest she had had too much to drink.
But three days after that denial, Senator Davey admitted to Sky News that he had had “two glasses” of red wine at a party hours before the meeting.
Her profile photo on her private Facebook page as of noon Monday was a woman inside a wine glass, drowning in red wine as she poured it from the bottle.
That image had been prominently displayed on her profile for seven years before she suddenly replaced it on Monday afternoon.
Now Davey has been the subject of a series of revelations, including the fact that for the past seven years, Davey’s profile photo on his private Facebook page was an image showing a woman trapped inside a wine glass.
The image shows a woman cowering in the glass as she pours red wine from the bottle. The image was suddenly replaced on Monday afternoon following questions to Ms Davey.
It also emerged that Ms Davey is also a member of the task force creating a tough new alcohol policy for MPs.
And he also shared an update on the same social media account of a glass of red wine on a table, with the caption: ‘Happy Friday.’
Ms Davey was also appointed co-chair of the parliamentary voluntary organization Friends of Australian Spirits, which was first launched under her leadership in 2021.
As part of his role on that committee, he “meets and engages with Australian spirits industry stakeholders… in relation to the support and growth of Australia’s spirits sector.”
At the beginning of February, they gave him an Australian whiskey advent calendar complete with 24 drinks, tasting notes and information about the distilleries where they are made.
“So I know where to go to get more,” he said.
“As co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Australian Spirits, I couldn’t think of a better gift.”
Daily Mail Australia has approached Ms Davey to ask how much time she spends in that role.
Ms Davey often poses next to wine glasses and was appointed co-chair of the parliamentary voluntary organization Friends of Australian Spirits, which was first launched under her leadership in 2021.
At the beginning of February, they gave him an Australian whiskey advent calendar complete with 24 drinks, tasting notes and information about the distilleries where they are made.
Perin Davey claims she wasn’t drunk during lively exchange
Ms Davey is also a member of the working group which is forging a new alcohol policy for Parliament.
The draft policy, which is not yet in effect but which might have called Ms. Davey if it had been, states that “the use of alcohol or legal drugs should not adversely affect the job performance or official conduct of a individual”.
Politicians must “ensure that they are fit for duty and free from the effects of alcohol or legal drugs.”
Individuals who do not comply may be subject to disciplinary action.
Footage of Ms Davey during last Tuesday night’s meeting has been widely shared and shows her difficulty speaking about arts funding during the Environment and Communications Estimates Committee meeting.
‘AMPs still receive funding, which is good, because they deserve it. Don’t let me take anything away. They, absolutely, you know, this is, this is Australian culture,” Ms Davey rambled during her speech, prompting several people to ask her what she was trying to say.
‘In terms of program funding, do we still have program funding, outside of the four-year model and outside of the AMP model? Are we still seeing funding for programs?
‘Or do we have, segregated, the AMPs, you have your financing, you go and do your arts – we love you – and then the small and medium-sized ones and others, and we accept that others have financing for four years and that helps with their core? business model, but everyone else is fighting each other, but they are no longer fighting the MPAs.’
Daily Mail Australia has approached Ms Davey about how much time she spends in that role.
When contacted by Daily Mail Australia during the week, a spokesperson for Davey argued that she had simply been showing her passion for the arts.
On Friday, just days after drinking alcohol while working in Canberra on taxpayer money, he shared an update on the same social media account of a glass of red wine on a table, with the caption: “Happy Friday.”
When contacted by Daily Mail Australia during the week, a spokesperson for Davey argued that she had simply been showing her passion for the arts.
He said she was “coherent throughout the hearing” and that “equating this passion with being intoxicated is pathetic.”
Despite having two glasses of wine in the middle of a work day, Davey insists she was not drunk.
Political commentator and Sky presenter Andrew Clennell said he finds it hard to believe Davey only had two drinks.
“It’s a big problem for the Nationals,” he said.
‘Perin Davey has a preselection in a month, now she is likely to lose. After losing that, assuming that happens, he will probably lose the deputy leadership of the party and, again, a spillover of leadership positions is not an ideal situation for David Littleproud.’
It comes at a time when the Nationals are already under intense scrutiny, after former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce was filmed face up, cursing into his phone after a night out in Canberra.
Littleproud supported his leadership rival and suggested he take “personal leave” rather than demoting him from the front.
On Monday, Joyce revealed she had “given up alcohol on borrowed time” after the incident.