Gay Victorian MP expelled

Victoria’s only openly gay MP, Andrew Olexander, will serve the remainder of the current parliamentary term as an independent after Liberal colleagues voted to expel him from the party today.Liberal MPs ejected Olexander in a secret ballot at a party meeting this morning, The Age reported.Olexander faced the vote because of his sustained public conduct, which has brought the name and reputation of the Victorian Liberal Party into disrepute, according to the resolution calling for his expulsion.Earlier this month, the MP attacked colleagues as homophobic and intolerant in the wake of losing a preselection vote for next year’s state election.Olexander sparked controversy last year after crashing his vehicle into parked cars while drunk. He subsequently lost his licence for 12 months.Victorian Liberal leader Robert Doyle said not all colleagues had voted to expel Olexander, but there was good reason for the dismissal.He said Olexander’s failure on several occasions to attend parliament played a part in his expulsion, The Age reported.After today’s vote, Olexander said it was a very sad day for the party. I don’t concur that the best way to deal with dissent of opinion is to silence it or to expel it.The 40-year-old will finish the current parliamentary term as an independent. It is unclear whether he will contest next year’s election.