The Liberal Party is moving to dump its Isaacs candidate Jeremy Hearn over a series of reported online anti-Muslim rants.
A party spokesperson said on 1 May that the state branch’s administrative committee was “moving this morning to cancel Mr Hearn’s endorsement”.
The Herald Sun had reported that Mr Hearn last year posted comments such as Muslims being “clearly people of bad character” and calling for the end of government funding for Muslim schools.
The newspaper reported that Mr Hearn had apologised for the comments.
Even if disendorsed, Mr Hearn’s name will remain on the ballot paper. However, it now puts the incumbent and shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus into firming favouritism for the marginal seat.
Mr Dreyfus held Isaacs by less than 6 per cent, prior to an unfavourable boundary redistribution last year.
Mr Dreyfus said he welcomed Mr Hearn’s possible disendorsement but said the candidate should not have been preselected in the first place.
“His Islamophobic comments have been on the record for months and they have no place in modern Australia.
“His views are sickening, divisive and dangerous. Mr Morrison should be ashamed of ever having been associated with him.
“The voters of Isaacs deserve an apology – the Liberal Party has insulted them by putting a man like this forward as their chosen candidate.
“Regardless of what happens with Mr Hearn’s candidacy, I will continue to work hard for every single vote, talking to the voters of Isaacs about stability and Labor’s positive policies for the things that really matters for all Australians like health, education and jobs.”
Animal Justice Party candidate Bronwyn Currie said she was “appalled” by the comments.
“There is no place for hate speech in our society.
“The Animal Justice Party seeks to improve the lives of humans, to achieve a kinder world based on respect and non-violence.”
Greens candidate Kim Samiotis called for Mr Hearn to withdraw his candidacy.
“Should he continue to run as an independent, The Greens urge all voters to consider that the politics of hate only seeks to divide our society.”
Ms Samiotis said political leaders had emboldened and encouraged white supremacy and an emerging neo-Nazi movement.
“Melbourne’s Bayside and South East is an area of rich cultural diversity. It’s a part of what makes our country so beautiful and should be celebrated, not hated.
“It was not so long ago that my father and grandfather’s generations suffered social exclusion as Greeks living in Australia. It’s time we break that cycle.”
