PERTH: The federal Liberal Party has moved to address criticism of its decision against publishing a report on its dismal performance at the 2025 federal election.

The party’s federal executive, which earlier this week said the report would not be released, today released a “clarifying statement” saying the report had merely been embargoed.

It is understood the report by party elders and former state and federal MPs Pru Goward and Nick Minchin details major and embarrassing campaign failures – including some by former leader Peter Dutton and current leader Angus Taylor and his deputy Jane Hume who were senior shadow ministers at the time.

The review reportedly received hundreds of submissions and was completed late last year and the decision against releasing it prompted a backlash from some party members as well as political observers.

But in a surprise move, the Liberal Party today said the report was not being suppressed but was currently subject to an embargo, and would eventually be made available for perusal.

It is understood that the change in the report’s status followed an intervention by mining magnate Gina Rinehart who contacted the party soon after the decision to suppress the analysis was announced.

“Gina – God bless her – has offered a workable way out for us,” one anonymous members of the party’s federal executive said.

“She has offered to store the original and only copy of the report in a safe place, namely deep inside one of her disused WA underground mines whose location will not be revealed for security reasons. (main picture)

“This will enable us to declare that the report is not being suppressed but is simply being embargoed and will eventually be available for anyone to read, if they can find it, of course,” the source said.

Want to be alerted immediately a new blog hits Australia’s longest running and most offensive satire site? Simply click on the Follow sign or the link below to be emailed new yarns the moment they are uploaded! The very second we go far too far – and trust us we will – you can then quickly unfollow via the three dots!

Follow The Bug Online on WordPress.com