Victorian Liberals dump Williamstown candidate over Indigenous slurs
The Liberal Party stopped backing Williamstown candidate Paul Lindemann. He made offensive comments about Indigenous Australians.
The party said his comments were offensive and unacceptable. They broke Liberal standards.
The party didn't know about the remarks until recently. Lindemann also faces claims he insulted a young basketball player while coaching the Bay City Lakers.
He apologized and said he should have handled it differently. One Nation dropped Preston candidate Franco Guardiani yesterday over Hitler comments.
Williamstown has been held by Labor since 2018. It's one of the safest Labor seats in Victoria.
Victorians vote on November 28.
- 2018
- Seat holder since
- Almost every election since 1889
- Labor election wins
- November 28
- Election date
Why it mattersBoth major parties are now removing candidates over offensive old posts. This raises questions about vetting. Why weren't these comments caught earlier?
AustraliaThe Williamstown seat remains safe for Labor, but the candidate scandal adds to broader concerns about party candidate selection on the eve of Victoria's election.
