Arabic version: ليبراليو فيكتوريا يسحبون دعمهم لمرشح ويليامزتاون

According to ABC News, the Victorian Liberal Party has withdrawn its support and endorsement of Williamstown candidate Paul Lindemann over offensive comments it says he made about Indigenous Australians. The party said the views expressed by Mr Lindemann had recently come to light.

In a statement, the Liberals said the comments were “offensive, unacceptable and inconsistent with the values and standards expected of Liberal candidates”. It said all candidates were expected to treat Australians with dignity and respect, and that Mr Lindemann’s comments fell short of that standard. The party said it had not previously been aware of the comments.

Earlier on Wednesday, Sport Minister Steve Dimopoulos said Opposition Leader Jess Wilson should dump Mr Lindemann over allegations that he insulted and mocked a young basketball player while coaching the Bay City Lakers. Mr Lindemann said in a statement that he apologised for his actions and acknowledged he should have “handled the situation differently”. The ABC said it had attempted to contact him for comment.

Williamstown has been held by Minister for Jobs Melissa Horne since 2018. Labor has won the seat at almost every election since 1889, on very safe margins. The former dockyard town is now one of Victoria’s wealthier seats. Victorians are set to go to the polls on November 28. One Nation on Tuesday also dumped former Preston candidate Franco Guardiani over comments he made about Hitler.