In the world of politics, scandals are never far away.

South Australia's political scene is no exception, as a recent video sent shockwaves through their community and had everyone questioning public figures and their capacity to lead.

Alleged footage of former South Australian Liberal Party leader David Speirs saw him in a compromising situation—snorting a white substance from a plate in the wee hours.

The video, which has been circulating online, showed a man resembling Mr Speirs using a rolled-up banknote to inhale the substance.

According to the metadata attached to the video, it was taken at 4:12 am on 30 June.

In contrast to the circulating footage, David Speirs assured his constituents of his integrity as a public figure. Image Credits: The Adelaide Advertiser, Instagram/David Speirs

A subsequent image, timestamped two hours later, showed the same individual at the same location, with several lines of white powder and a plastic card on the kitchen bench.

However, the original report stated that Mr Speirs has not engaged in any of these activities.

Mr Speirs claimed that the footage could be a 'deep fake' and that he was horrified by the 'troubling' photos.

'That is very strange,' Mr. Speirs stated.

'No, definitely not. I would never have done that. I'm quite horrified by that. I'm really troubled by that. I'm very, very sorry about that.'

Mr Speirs' strongly disputed' the authenticity of the video and suggested that it could be an elaborate hoax.

Mr Speirs mentioned that he was overseas when the video was taken.

'During that time, other persons had access to my home, giving rise to the opportunity for someone to obtain footage of my premises,' he further explained.

'I am extremely disappointed by this and assure South Australians that I would never take illicit substances, I never have and I never will,' he added.

At the time the images were allegedly taken, Mr Speirs was the state's Liberal opposition leader and aspired to defeat Premier Peter Malinauskas in the next election.

On the day the video was reportedly recorded, he attended an 11 am press conference at Arkaba Medical Centre in Parkside.

David Speirs, who has since resigned from his leadership position, has had a notable career in South Australian politics.

He served as the state's environment minister and was elected as an MP.

His recent resignation was unexpected and explained that he had 'had a gutful' and lacked the energy to continue fighting for the leadership role.

The incident raised numerous questions about the integrity of political figures and the authenticity of media posted online.

The concept of 'deep fakes' – highly realistic and sophisticated video forgeries – has become a significant concern in recent years, with the potential to scam citizens, damage reputations, and spread misinformation.

Key Takeaways

• Recent images and footage showed former South Australian Liberal leader David Speirs snorting white powder.
• Mr Speirs denied the allegations, suggesting the footage could be a 'deep fake' or an 'elaborate hoax'.
• Speirs clarified that he was overseas when the alleged incident occurred last June.
• Mr Speirs, who recently resigned as opposition leader, reassured South Australians of his integrity as a public servant.

What does this mean for the trust we place in public figures? How do you feel about digital manipulation in today's media? Share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comments below.

 

[Veggiepatch]

I could make the same video using plain flour, salt, sugar, talcum powder....any number of friable materials.

Jamie Kah, the Australia's leading female jockey and Latrell Mitchell, NRL player, have been "caught out" doing the same thing. What was the powder involved? Illicit or innocuous? Who knows?

But everybody jumps to the same conclusion - DRUGS!

 

[mylittletibbies]

Good luck snorting talcum powder Veggie, lol.
Could be a fake but the old saying "the guilty run" has to make me wonder

 

[Macarj]

I didn't think the photo actually looked like him

 

[Jest]

if they are stupid enough to be videod suck it up. pun not intended. idiots.

 

[David567]

Depending on how old the photo on the is, there are some tell tale signs of deep fake. At the same time, has there ever been any trust worthy polititons.

 

[novezar]

Can someone clarify for me, as I'm just a tad slow on this one.
Why do the Sniffers use rolled up $20, or $50 notes to sniff with ?
I can't figure that out at all. Maybe they have too many disposable notes to do it. "?"
Why don't they use a cut down drinking straw ? At least that'd stick further up their "Snots".

 

[Towing]

The saying is that everybody has a "double" . I was accused of "snubbing" a colleague from work on a Saturday morning in Rundle Mall. I was 1 1/2 hours drive in a country area, fortunately with other people, named them then warned them. They were never contacted as the colleague didn't know any of them. I would be furious and mentally drained if I was a "public figure" and the rumours persisted.