Youngest MP says hits out at news network for Photoshopping breasts and midriff

Australia’s youngest MP has lashed out at a news service for doctoring a picture of her which appeared on a bulletin.

Georgie Purcell, 31, shared an image posted by the Nine News network alongside the original photo to show how it had been changed.

She was appearing on the programme to criticise Victoria premier Jacinta Allan’s decision not to ban duck shooting in the state.

The Animal Justice Party MP wrote on X: ‘I endured a lot yesterday. But having my body and outfit Photoshopped by a media outlet was not on my bingo card.

‘Note the enlarged boobs and outfit to be made more revealing. Can’t imagine this happening to a male MP. What gives?’ 

The image posted by Nine News showed Ms Purcell wearing a crop top revealing her midriff – but the MP pointed out this can’t be real because she had her stomach tattooed four years ago.

She added: ‘Hot tip 9 I’ve got my whole stomach tattooed.’

Director of Nine News Melbourne, Hugh Nailon, said in a statement: ‘I would like to sincerely apologise to Georgie Purcell for a graphic error that occurred in last night’s bulletin.

‘Our graphics department sourced an online image of Georgie to use in our story on duck hunting.

‘As is common practice, the image was resized to fit our specs. During that process, the automation by Photoshop created an image that was not consistent with the original.

‘This did not meet the high editorial standards we have and for that we apologise to Ms Purcell unreservedly.’

Ms Purcell is the youngest woman in any Australian parliament, and is also the second youngest ever to be elected to Victoria’s legislative council.

She is unafraid to call people out online, after people trolled her for her past job as a stripper and for having tattoos.

The MP spoke about how she was 19 years old when a picture of her working as a stripper was leaked online, leaving her fearing her dreams of a career in law or politics would be ruined.

She took up multiple jobs as a topless waitress, stripper and at a Post Office to make ends meet while she was studying at university.

Ms Purcell recently told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Politics is so vicious and brutal that when you have political enemies, they will find out anything about you.

‘So a couple of years in I shared my story, writing an opinion piece about what I had been through.

‘We all have a past and digital footprint and for younger politicians, it is much more traceable than the average politician, so after I shared my story I felt the weight was lifted off my shoulders.

‘After I did it I became a new person. I gained self-confidence and because of my past I thought I could only be a spectator, not a participant but now two years later I am an elected MP. It has been a whirlwind experience.’

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