Liberal candidate dropped over offensive comments

Résumé détaillé

The Liberal Party has sensationally dumped a candidate just 17 days from a state election, in a major blow to the party's hope of claiming key seats from Labor.

The Victorian Liberals have dumped a candidate less than three weeks from polling day after online posts spouting offensive views about Indigenous Australians surfaced.

Williamstown Liberal candidate Paul Lindemann was disendorsed on Wednesday after the party became aware of comments about Indigenous Australians, a campaign spokesperson said.

The Facebook alias Biddy Hu Biddy Hu, which often posted photos of Mr Lindemann and his family, reportedly referred to Indigenous Australians as “the most primitive homo sapiens on Earth” who were “never civilised”, according to The Age.

In another post, the Biddy Hu profile - named after Mr Lindemann’s yacht - commented under a photo depicting Indigenous Australians performing a Welcome to Country, stating they had "taken billions of dollars every year!"

Other posts under the same alias displayed a photo of former premier Daniel Andrews in a Nazi soldier uniform and questioned the efficacy of mask-wearing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The junior basketball coach came under fire earlier this week over claims he was suspended from a local sporting league for intimidating and mocking a teenage girl during a game, The Age reports.

Condemning the social media posts as "disgusting and offensive", Victorian Labor called for the Liberal Party to expel Mr Lindemann.

“Jess Wilson stood by Paul Lindemann when it came out he harassed and intimidated a girl at under 14s community basketball,” a Labor spokesperson said.

“These were public posts - posted within the last few years - there is no way the Liberal party could not have know about them."

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