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Marcus Bastiaan
Bastiaan in the 2020s
Personal details
BornMelbourne, Victoria
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLiberal Party (until 2020)
SpouseStephanie Bastiaan

Marcus Bastiaan (born 1990)[1] is an Australian businessman, industry advocate and political power broker.[2] He is a former vice-president of the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia.[3][4]

Politics

[edit]

Bastiaan joined the Liberal Party in Victoria in 2010.[5] In 2012 he stood unsuccessfully for Bayside Council in Melbourne's inner south local government election. Bastiaan polled the third highest primary among 16 candidates and lost on preferences.[6] Bastiaan later became chair of the party's Goldstein branch and Brighton branch.[7] Between 2015 and 2018 Bastiaan was elected to the Liberal Party's Administrative Committee and served as Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Party's Membership and Training Committee.[8][9][10]

He has been seen by some as a protégé of former Victorian state Liberal president and fellow Liberal powerbroker Michael Kroger. Bastiaan has written in the Herald Sun and Spectator advocating for democratisation and greater parliamentary renewal within the Liberal Party.[11][12] Bastiaan has been critical of lobbyist and union involvement within political parties, stating "Union or lobbyist domination of governments leads to broad-based supporter disenchantment, political cronyism and widespread voter disillusionment.”[13] Bastiaan was a supporter of the NSW Liberal Party Democratic Reform, speaking alongside former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.[14][15]

In 2017, Four Corners reported that the Kroger/Bastiaan group had taken control of the Liberal Victorian Administrative Committee.[16]

In September 2018 Bastiaan announced that, due to the serious illness of an immediate family member, he and his wife Stephanie would step down from their voluntary roles within the party.[3][4]

The Age newspaper reported leaked text and Facebook messages allegedly from Liberal Party administrative committee members Paul Mitchell and Bastiaan that used homophobic and racist terms.[17] Both Bastiaan and Mitchell were cleared of "detrimental conduct" by a Liberal Party investigation.[18]

Bastiaan has been accused of branch stacking since 2015.[19][20] He was alleged to be involved in drawing people from religious and community groups, including Mormons,[21] Probus groups, retail trade associations, healthcare professionals and "anyone that will listen" to the Liberal Party.[22][23]

In August 2020, allegations were made by Channel Nine's 60 Minutes and The Age that Bastiaan was involved in branch stacking activities, allegedly endorsed by Andrews and Sukkar.[24][25][26] Bastiaan rejected these allegations. He stated that his role as Chair of the Membership and Training Committee was to recruit and train members.[10][27]

Bastiaan rejected branch stacking allegations, arguing recruitment was necessary to renew the diminishing membership and blamed long serving members of parliament for undertaking a "sustained campaign to ridicule new members". Bastiaan was also accused of installing factional operatives in Michael Sukkar and Kevin Andrews' electorate offices.[28][29][30]

Bastiaan launched legal proceedings against Nine Entertainment (the owner of the Nine Network, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald) following the 60 Minutes program. Nine Entertainment settled a defamation lawsuit with Bastiaan, leading to the removal of dozens of articles and social media posts.[31][32]

Following Bastiaan’s legal win he appeared on Sky News with Cory Bernardi stating "until the Liberal Party in Victoria can work out how it's going to govern itself it will never govern in Victoria." He appealed to the Victorian Liberal Party to "get back to its fundamental values set, and that is to reduce the size of government and the cost of government”.[33]

Bastiaan remains involved in internal Liberal Party politics and advocates for policy issues, writing and appearing in the media.[34][35]

Business

[edit]

Bastiaan has run several successful technology businesses, including e-commerce and logistics start-ups. Bastiaan is currently director of a door manufacturing business.[36][37] Specialty Doors has production plants in Victoria and Queensland.[38][39][40]

Bastiaan has been critical of government led forestry closures in Victoria and NSW, due to the impact on businesses within the sector and regional communities. He has advocated for forestry policy that transitions timber production from native forests to plantations.[41][42][43]

Personal life

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Bastiaan graduated from Brighton Grammar in 2008. Bastiaan married Stephanie Ross in May 2017 at Our Lady of Victories Basilica Catholic church in Camberwell. His wife writes for The Spectator, Australia.[44] They have four daughters.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ McKenzie-Murray, Martin (12 May 2018). "The Victorian right's capture of the Liberal Party".
  2. ^ "Opening and Closing Doors". 8 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Rising powerbroker Marcus Bastiaan quits Liberal power hub". 6 September 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Heraldsun.com.au | Subscribe to the Herald Sun for exclusive stories".
  5. ^ "The Lion – Marcus Bastiaan | ABALINX". 24 March 2018.
  6. ^ "2012 Election Results". www.vec.vic.gov.au.
  7. ^ "Nepal Fundraising & Breakfast with Minister - Consulate General of Nepal in Victoria". 8 September 2015.
  8. ^ https://vic.liberal.org.au/AboutUs/PartyMembers [bare URL]
  9. ^ "Kroger wins". Herald Sun. 5 October 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Former Victorian Liberal vice-president resigns from party after secret recordings aired". ABC News. 24 August 2020.
  11. ^ "October Revolution: Time for democracy in the NSW Liberals". 14 October 2016.
  12. ^ https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/victorian-liberal-party-needs-drastic-change-from-within/news-story/38c2886698ca00396f90c40ed757ec17 [bare URL]
  13. ^ Chan, Gabrielle (16 October 2016). "Liberal members should vote on NSW preselection reforms, says Sinodinos". The Guardian.
  14. ^ Chan, Gabrielle (20 July 2017). "Compromise urged in Tony Abbott-backed preselection reform". The Guardian.
  15. ^ "Marcus Bastiaan - Democratic Reform Convention". YouTube. 22 October 2016.
  16. ^ Brissenden, Michael (13 November 2017). "Turnbull is at his weakest and the conservatives are circling". ABC News.
  17. ^ "Party powerbroker faces suspension over offensive messages". The Age. 29 June 2019.
  18. ^ "Social media app blocks lewd, offensive posts linked to Liberals". The Age. 29 June 2019.
  19. ^ "Conservative Liberals hatch plan to thwart dying with dignity laws". ABC News. 11 July 2017.
  20. ^ Willingham, Richard (13 February 2017). "Liberal preselection candidate lashes out at Matthew Guy over gas policy".
  21. ^ "Victorian Liberal Party launches investigation into party memberships, leaked tape reveals Michael Kroger spruiking Marcus Bastiaan's recruitment efforts". 24 August 2020.
  22. ^ "Recruitment drive in churches divides Victorian Liberals". 27 September 2016.
  23. ^ "Guy joins calls to expel former Liberal Party vice president". 26 August 2020.
  24. ^ "Victorian Liberal powerbroker Marcus Bastiaan resigns from party following branch stacking allegations". ABC News. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  25. ^ Harris, Rob (28 August 2020). "How the Victorian Liberals' conservative warlords tore the party apart". amp.theage.com.au. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  26. ^ "Why won't Frydenberg save the Victorian Liberals?". Australian Financial Review. 26 August 2020.
  27. ^ Sakkal, Rob Harris, Paul (28 August 2020). "How the Victorian Liberals' conservative warlords tore the party apart". The Age. Retrieved 30 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ "Sukkar helped install factional operatives in Kevin Andrews' office". 25 August 2020.
  29. ^ "Michael Sukkar and Kevin Andrews cleared of wrongdoing after allegations of Victorian Liberal Party branch stacking". ABC News. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  30. ^ "Knives out for Liberal president". The Australian. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  31. ^ "Nine Entertainment settles defamation case with former Victorian Liberal Party powerbroker Marcus Bastiaan". The Australian Business Review. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  32. ^ "Victorian Liberal Party powerbroker wins major defamation suit against 60 Minutes".
  33. ^ "Liberal Party will never "govern" in Victoria".
  34. ^ "Victorian Liberal Party needs drastic change from within".
  35. ^ "Spectator Australia articles by Marcus Bastiaan".
  36. ^ "Victorian Liberals: Factional fight exposes deep divisions". 17 February 2017.
  37. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  38. ^ "Specialty Doors goes for growth". 28 May 2024.
  39. ^ "DOORS OPEN INTERSTATE".
  40. ^ "Manufacturers now forced to source hardwood offshore".
  41. ^ "VicForests hung themselves and the industry out to dry". TimberBiz. 3 May 2024.
  42. ^ "Green feels chop over Labor deals". The Spectator (Australia). 24 October 2023.
  43. ^ "A tinderbox of incompetence". The Spectator (Australia). 23 July 2024.
  44. ^ "Spectator Australia".
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