Victorian Liberal state director Stuart Smith has resigned “in the best interests of the party” after leaked texts showed he made disparaging remarks about a women’s group and an MP.

The Australian published leaked WhatsApp messages on Wednesday night, showing Smith joking that Liberal MP Bev McArthur had dementia and suggesting that the women’s council had only passed a resolution when two men told them to.

Stuart Smith has resigned as state director of the Victorian Liberal Party. Credit: Simon Schluter

A view immediately grew among Liberals that he would need to resign.

“In the best interests of the party, I have tendered my resignation to minimise distractions from the important task of winning the next election,” Smith said in a statement on Thursday morning.

“I regret the c

See Full Page