Indigenous leaders welcome dumping of Liberal candidate for racist posts
Paul Lindemann was removed yesterday as Liberal candidate for Williamstown after social media posts about Aboriginal people were uncovered, but he will remain on the ballot sheet because nominations closed on Monday.
Indigenous Victorians have expressed approval of the Liberal Party's decision to withdraw support from candidate Paul Lindemann following the discovery of his racist social media posts. The candidate, Paul Lindemann, was pre-selected by the party for the Williamstown seat but was disendorsed after the nomination deadline for the election had passed. Lindemann will continue to be listed on the ballot as a Liberal candidate.
The state's Treaty body, Gellung Warl, echoed the sentiment, praising the decision to disendorse Lindemann. Co-chair Djaran Murray-Jackson noted that the party's action was "the right decision," as the candidate's use of racist and dehumanising language was directly linked to harmful policies that inflicted real and lasting damage on Indigenous communities.
In the posts unearthed, Lindemann referred to Indigenous Australians as "half breeds" or "half castes," and expressed views that Indigenous people believed they had more rights than others. He also stated that Aboriginal people with "foreign blood" should "forego Indigenous status." The term "half caste" was historically used during early colonisation in Victoria to justify the separation of Indigenous children from their communities.
Critics, including Djaran Murray-Jackson and First Nations advocacy organisation Common Threads, condemned Lindemann's outdated racist language, highlighting the candidate's apparent disdain for First Nations justice and policy. The Age previously reported that Lindemann had faced disciplinary action over allegations of insulting and mocking a young basketball player while coaching.
Liberal leader Jess Wilson, who was not aware of Lindemann's posts before he was pre-selected, stated that the party would not have supported him if they had known about the comments. She expressed disappointment in the situation, emphasizing the high standards her team, MPs, and candidates must uphold. However, she acknowledged that the matter was ultimately in the hands of the people of Williamstown, where the seat is currently held by Labor MP Melissa Horne.
The West Party candidate for Williamstown, Gill Gannon, noted that the campaign in the electorate had become "very dynamic" following Lindemann's disendorsement, with an apparent appetite for change in the region.
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