A Nationals senator who came under fire 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.
Deputy Nationals Leader Perin Davey denied she was drunk when she stumbled over her words during a Senate committee hearing last week. A spokesperson 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 she had drunk “two glasses” of red wine at a party hours before the meeting.
Her profile picture on her private Facebook page until Monday afternoon was a woman in a wine glass, drowning in red wine as it is poured from the bottle.
That photo had been prominently displayed on her profile for seven years before she suddenly replaced it on Monday afternoon
Now Ms Davey has been the subject of a series of revelations – including that Ms Davey’s profile picture on her private Facebook page for the past seven years was an image of a woman trapped in a wine glass.
The photo shows a woman huddled in the glass as red wine is poured from the bottle. The image was suddenly replaced on Monday afternoon after inquiries to Ms Davey.
It also emerged that Ms Davey is also a member of the taskforce tasked with drawing up a tough new alcohol policy for MPs.
And on the same social media account, she also shared an update of a glass of red wine at the table, captioning it: “Happy Friday.”
Ms Davey was also appointed co-chair of the volunteer Parliamentary Friends of Australian Spirits – which was first launched under her watch in 2021.
As part of her role on that committee, she ‘meets and interacts with Australian spirits industry stakeholders… in relation to supporting and growing the Australian spirits sector’.
In early February, she was gifted an Australian whiskey advent calendar, complete with 24 shots, tasting notes and information about the distilleries where they are made.
“So I know where to find more,” she said.
“As co-chair of 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 dedicates to the role.
Ms Davey often poses next to glasses of wine and was appointed co-chair of the volunteer Parliamentary Friends of Australian Spirits – which was first launched under her watch in 2021.
In early February, she was gifted an Australian whiskey advent calendar, complete with 24 shots, tasting notes and information about the distilleries where they are made.
Perin Davey claims she was not drunk during this animated conversation
Ms Davey is also a member of the taskforce devising a new alcohol policy for Parliament House.
The draft policy – which is not yet in force but could have reached Ms Davey had it been – states that alcohol or legal drug consumption should not adversely affect an individual’s work performance or official conduct.
Politicians must ‘ensure that they are fit for duty and free from impairment by alcohol or legal drugs’.
Persons who do not comply with the rules may be subject to disciplinary action.
Images of Ms Davey at the meeting last Tuesday evening have been widely shared and show her obfuscation as she spoke about arts funding at the Environment and Communications Estimates Committee meeting.
“The MPAs are still getting their funding, which is good because they deserve it. Don’t let me take anything away. They, they absolutely know, this is, this is Australian culture,” Ms Davey said during her speech, prompting several people to ask what she was trying to say.
“When it comes to program funding, do we still have program funding, do we still see program funding outside the four-year model and outside the MPA model?
‘Or do we have, separate, the MPA, you have your funding, you go and practice art – we love you – and then small to medium and others, and accept that others have four years of funding and that helps with their core business model, but the rest of you are fighting each other, but they are no longer fighting the MPAs.”
Daily Mail Australia has approached Ms Davey to ask how much time she dedicates to the role
When Daily Mail Australia contacted a spokesperson for Ms Davey during the week, she claimed she had merely shown her passion for the art.
On Friday – just days after drinking alcohol while working in Canberra on taxpayers’ money – she shared an update on the same social media account over a glass of red wine at a table, with the caption: ‘Happy Friday’
When Daily Mail Australia contacted a spokesperson for Ms Davey this week, she claimed she had only demonstrated her passion for art.
He said she was “coherent throughout the hearing” and “to equate this passion with being intoxicated is pathetic.”
Despite drinking two glasses of wine in the middle of a working day, Ms Davey insists she was not drunk.
Political commentator and Sky presenter Andrew Clennell said he found it hard to believe Ms Davey had only had two drinks.
“It’s quite a pickle for the Nationals,” he said.
‘Perin Davey has a pre-selection in a month, she is now in danger of losing. If she loses that, assuming it happens, she will probably also lose the deputy leadership of the party, and again a merger 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 on his back swearing into his phone after a late night out in Canberra.
Mr Littleproud backed his leadership rival and suggested he would take ‘personal leave’ rather than demote him from the front bench.
On Monday, Mr Joyce announced that he had ‘given up alcohol for lending’ after the incident.