Ian Goodenough: Dumped Liberal MP uses Sterling First scandal to call on party insiders to resign

Dumped Liberal MP Ian Goodenough has used parliamentary privilege to launch an extraordinary spray on his own party, invoking the Sterling First scandal to call on party insiders to resign and to smear a division president and upper house candidate by extension. Mr Goodenough overwhelmingly lost Liberal preselection, 137-39, in the northern suburbs seat of Moore to former Stirling MP Vince Connelly earlier this month. The four-term incumbent remains in the Liberal caucus and has promised Peter Dutton to do so this term, but has hinted at an independent run at the next election and warned of a “civil war” in the party due to his thumping defeat. In an escalation, Mr Goodenough on Tuesday night spoke about the Sterling First housing scandal that saw about 100 retirees lose their savings, with some ending up homeless. The scheme convinced people to pay for long-term leases, with the money going to a complex investment arrangement before the companies involved went bust in 2019. Mr Goodenough named Hillarys branch president Kirsten Marie as having been a director of Theta Asset Management — the responsible entity for Sterling Group — “alongside her husband, Robert Patrick Marie, who was fined $100,000 by ASIC and banned for four years from controlling an entity carrying on a financial services business”. Ms Marie was never sanctioned by ASIC, but the MP told parliament it was “in the public interest” to reveal she had been a director. “It is clearly untenable for individuals who have been sanctioned by ASIC to occupy senior office bearer positions within the Liberal Party,” Mr Goodenough said under privilege that protects him from defamation action. “It is a major financial scandal and an embarrassment for the Liberal Party. “Questions need to be asked about the circumstances in which Kirsten Marie came to be installed as president of the Hillarys Branch of the Liberal Party, because it is evident that her continued involvement in the senior role is untenable.” Mr Goodenough then aimed his fire at Moore Liberal division president Simon Ehrenfeld, who is understood to have backed Mr Connelly for preselection, and is a candidate himself for preselection to the WA Legislative Council. “What role does Simon Ehrenfeld, president of the Moore division and a candidate for Liberal Party preselection, play in exerting control over the Hillarys branch in conjunction with Robert and Kirsten Marie?” Mr Goodenough asked. “On behalf of my constituents, the victims of the Sterling First financial scam, I call upon Kirsten Marie and Robert Patrick Marie to resign their positions within the Liberal Party immediately.” Attempts to contact Ms Marie were unsuccessful and Mr Ehrenfeld declined to comment. Mr Goodenough earlier this month posted a picture of himself visiting a Joondalup store and, in an obvious suggestion at an independent campaign, said he had “called in for a quote on new polo shirts and hats for my army of volunteers”. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed into the MP’s preselection defeat just prior to bringing his cabinet to Perth, describing it as a “disgrace” and attacking Mr Connelly for having “shopped around for a seat”.