A video appearing to show former SA Liberal leader David Speirs leaning over and snorting from a plate has been published online. The footage, obtained by the Adelaide Advertiser, appears to show the former opposition leader bending over a plate in the kitchen of his Kingston Park home in Adelaide's south. Despite the footage being from inside his home and the pictured person bearing a strong resemblance to Mr Speirs, he says it is not him, and suggests the footage could be a 'deep fake'.

The Video's Content

Using what looks like a rolled up $5 note, the man in the footage appeared to loudly sniff the substance off the plate. The video's metadata reveals it was taken at 4.12am on June 30 when Mr Speirs was still the Liberal leader. A second still image timestamped two hours later showed the same man at the kitchen bench with seven lines of white powder on the plate and a plastic bank card on show. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Mr Speirs has done anything illegal.

Mr Speirs' Response

When confronted by a reporter at his home about the images, Mr Speirs insisted they were 'certainly not me' and that he was horrified by the 'troubling' photos. "That is very strange. No, no way," Mr Speirs said. "No, no way … no, definitely not. I would never have done that. Never, never, never. I'm quite horrified by that. I'm really troubled by that. I'm very, very sorry about that."

In a follow-up text sent to the Advertiser Mr Speirs said he 'strongly disputed' the authenticity of any video as described. "I believe this is a deep fake or an elaborate hoax," he said. On Sunday, he texted that he was overseas for two weeks in June. "During that time other persons had access to my home, giving rise to the opportunity for someone to obtain footage of my premises," he wrote. "I am extremely disappointed by this and assure South Australians that I would never take illicit substances, I never have and I never will."

The Political Context

At the time the images were purportedly taken, Mr Speirs was the state's Liberal opposition leader and hoped to defeat Premier Peter Malinauskas at the next election. Later that day, he attended an 11am press conference at Arkaba Medical Centre in Parkside. Mr Speirs became state opposition leader after the Liberals lost the state election in 2022 and former premier Steve Marshall stepped aside.

Mr Speirs announced his shock resignation last month, declaring he'd 'had a gutful' of backroom machinations to replace him as leader. "I don't have the energy to fight for a leadership that, quite frankly, in the current circumstances, I just don't want to pursue anymore," he said. "I was probably a different type of leader for the Liberal Party, a different background … the party's never been led by someone from the southern suburbs before. I brought something different … was it too soon for me to lead the party, or was the party simply not ready for me to lead it?" Mr Speirs, who remains a backbench MP representing the electorate of Black, has since called for federal intervention in the South Australian Liberals.

Calls for Investigation

Mr Speirs's successor as Liberal leader, Vincent Tarzia, said that if the video is fake, Mr Speirs should "refer it to the appropriate authorities". "Any suggestion of this kind of activity is of concern to me, and my party takes these matters very seriously," Mr Tarzia said. "This is a matter for Mr Speirs, and if it is fake, Mr Speirs should refer it to the appropriate authorities. It would be inappropriate for further comment until all facts are known." The ABC has contacted Mr Speirs for comment. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Speirs for comment.

Conclusion: A Tale of Denial and Deeper Implications

The allegations against David Speirs are serious and raise questions about his suitability to remain in public office. While he has denied any wrongdoing and claims the video is a deepfake, the incident has cast a shadow over his political career and sparked public debate about the use of technology to manipulate images and videos. The fallout from this incident, regardless of its authenticity, will likely continue to be felt for some time to come. The future of David Speirs' political career now hangs in the balance, as the truth behind the video remains shrouded in mystery.