Victorian One Nation candidate dumped over Hitler comments

One Nation has dismissed its Victorian election candidate for Preston, Franco Guardiani, following a social media post that appeared to praise Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. The party terminated its candidate for Melbourne earlier this month due to misogynistic social media posts. One Nation has acknowledged that its vetting process requires improvement.

Guardiani, who is contesting the Labor-held seat of Preston, was removed from the party roster after a post where he labeled Hitler as "the GOAT," an acronym for "the greatest of all time." Guardiani confirmed that the social media account was his. He expressed belief in free speech, stating that individuals should be able to express their views and raise questions.

Guardiani has a history of posting content supporting conspiratorial, antisemitic, and anti-Islam ideas, including tweets questioning the Holocaust. He had also reposted tweets praising Hitler on multiple occasions. In December last year, Guardiani defended Sean Black, a convicted rapist, who was later reinstated in One Nation as federal campaign manager.

One Nation's Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, condemned Guardiani's comments regarding the Holocaust, stating that the party is appalled by such remarks and that anyone with such views does not belong in One Nation. The party has vowed to reassess its vetting procedures following this incident.