LNP candidate ‘not fit for office’ over Hitler joke
Savannah Meacham |
A Liberal National Party candidate is facing calls to quit her bid for office after joking about Hitler graffiti in a controversial social media post.
But the far north Queensland frontrunner says she will not withdraw from the state election despite conceding the post had been a huge mistake.
Barron River candidate Bree James has been criticised for joking about her election poster being defaced with a Hitler moustache.
In a Facebook post she wrote: “German Festival is on tonight at the German Club Cairns til late tonight … even my banner is getting in the spirit and celebrating my German heritage.”
Labor member for Barron River Craig Crawford said Ms James was unfit for office after making the “deplorable” post which was removed after 17 minutes.
“This is not the first time she has made an error in judgement,” he told reporters in Cairns.
“If you want to be a member of parliament, you need to exercise better judgement around things like your social media.”
Mr Crawford said locals should not be voting for her on Saturday and she should withdraw from running.
“If I had done something stupid like that I certainly would have offered my position up to the premier because I wouldn’t want to be a handbrake on my political party,” he said.
Premier Steven Miles said he would have reprimanded the candidate if it occurred in the Labor party and depending on their position, considered whether they should step down.
Ms James was confronted by reporters at a pre-poll booth in Cairns on Monday where she apologised for the joke.
“It was really poor taste – I’m really sorry about it and I really hope everyone will forgive me for it,” she said.
Asked whether she was fit for office or whether she should stop running for the seat held by Labor on a 3.1 per cent margin, Ms James repeated that she “made a mistake” and apologised.
“I’m a human and I’ve worked really hard and I made a mistake and I’m sorry,” she said.
Ms James did not escape criticism from her own party, with LNP leader David Crisafulli calling the post disappointing, wrong and not funny.
“I’ve expressed my view to her very clearly,” he told reporters on Sunday.
“She has expressed remorse and genuine remorse.”
The LNP is on track to win Saturday’s election, with the opposition leading 55 to Labor’s 45 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis according to News Corp polling.
AAP