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| Liberal candidate Jessica Whelan quits after fresh anti-Muslim social media posts emerge | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A Tasmanian Liberal candidate has quit after more anti-Muslim social media posts under her name emerged. | |
| Jessica Whelan, who was running for the marginal Tasmanian seat of Lyons, said on Thursday that Islamophobic remarks made under her name had been doctored, and called for the Australian federal police to investigate. | Jessica Whelan, who was running for the marginal Tasmanian seat of Lyons, said on Thursday that Islamophobic remarks made under her name had been doctored, and called for the Australian federal police to investigate. |
| Scott Morrison stood by Whelan, saying it was not “hard to believe” that screenshots of the offensive remarks could have been digitally altered. | Scott Morrison stood by Whelan, saying it was not “hard to believe” that screenshots of the offensive remarks could have been digitally altered. |
| Scott Morrison stands by candidate accused of anti-Islamic social media posts | Scott Morrison stands by candidate accused of anti-Islamic social media posts |
| But overnight more anti-Muslim comments made by Whelan emerged, including comments posted to the far-right group Reclaim Australia calling for the borders to be closed to Muslims, and comments made on pages linked to One Nation. | But overnight more anti-Muslim comments made by Whelan emerged, including comments posted to the far-right group Reclaim Australia calling for the borders to be closed to Muslims, and comments made on pages linked to One Nation. |
| Whelan had also expressed a desire to join One Nation. | Whelan had also expressed a desire to join One Nation. |
| Speaking on Friday morning, the Liberal party’s campaign spokesman, Simon Birmingham, said Whelan would be “swiftly” disendorsed on Friday. | Speaking on Friday morning, the Liberal party’s campaign spokesman, Simon Birmingham, said Whelan would be “swiftly” disendorsed on Friday. |
| “More information has come to light overnight, and as a result of that the state executive of the Liberal party in Tasmania will be taking steps to deal with this candidate situation today. | “More information has come to light overnight, and as a result of that the state executive of the Liberal party in Tasmania will be taking steps to deal with this candidate situation today. |
| “We are not going to tolerate racist comments.” | “We are not going to tolerate racist comments.” |
| He said the posts had not been declared by the candidate, which was “unacceptable”, but he would not comment on whether the AFP had been involved. | He said the posts had not been declared by the candidate, which was “unacceptable”, but he would not comment on whether the AFP had been involved. |
| The Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese said the party had attempted to “cover up” the scandal surrounding the Whelan posts by suggesting they had been made by someone else. | The Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese said the party had attempted to “cover up” the scandal surrounding the Whelan posts by suggesting they had been made by someone else. |
| But Birmingham rejected the criticism, and sought to turn the heat back on Labor over its decision to stand by its candidate in the seat of Melbourne, Luke Creasey, who has apologised for a series of lewd Facebook posts, including one that joked about rape. | But Birmingham rejected the criticism, and sought to turn the heat back on Labor over its decision to stand by its candidate in the seat of Melbourne, Luke Creasey, who has apologised for a series of lewd Facebook posts, including one that joked about rape. |
| “Labor’s candidate in Melbourne, who has been caught out in relation to making comments that White Ribbon has criticised because indeed they are undermining a domestic violence campaign, they are derogatory towards women – why is it that Labor are applying a double standard when it comes to their candidate in Melbourne?” Birmingham said. | “Labor’s candidate in Melbourne, who has been caught out in relation to making comments that White Ribbon has criticised because indeed they are undermining a domestic violence campaign, they are derogatory towards women – why is it that Labor are applying a double standard when it comes to their candidate in Melbourne?” Birmingham said. |
| Albanese said there was a “difference” between the multiple Islamophobic posts made by Whelan, saying the Creasey’s posts had been written in his “early 20s”: “There was no cover-up or anything else here, he made errors when he was a young bloke.” | Albanese said there was a “difference” between the multiple Islamophobic posts made by Whelan, saying the Creasey’s posts had been written in his “early 20s”: “There was no cover-up or anything else here, he made errors when he was a young bloke.” |
| On Thursday Morrison had said he would stand by the Liberal candidate. “The imagery that we have found, that has been presented to us, appears to have been doctored,” the prime minister said while campaigning in Launceston. “I don’t think it’s hard to believe in this day and age that images can be doctored. | On Thursday Morrison had said he would stand by the Liberal candidate. “The imagery that we have found, that has been presented to us, appears to have been doctored,” the prime minister said while campaigning in Launceston. “I don’t think it’s hard to believe in this day and age that images can be doctored. |
| “This is a matter that will be subject to an investigation.” | “This is a matter that will be subject to an investigation.” |
| But reports on Thursday evening indicated that the matter had not been referred to the federal police. | But reports on Thursday evening indicated that the matter had not been referred to the federal police. |
| Australian election 2019 | Australian election 2019 |
| Australian politics | Australian politics |
| Liberal party | Liberal party |
| Islamophobia | Islamophobia |
| Scott Morrison | Scott Morrison |
| Tasmania | Tasmania |
| Race | Race |
| news | news |
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