Liberal Party withdraws endorsement of Williamstown candidate after racist Facebook posts

The Victorian Liberal Party announced on Wednesday that it had withdrawn its endorsement of Paul Lindemann, the party’s candidate for the marginal seat of Williamstown, following the discovery of a series of racist comments he posted on an anonymous Facebook account. The account, named after Lindemann’s yacht, was used to describe Indigenous Australians with derogatory terms such as “half-breed” and “full-blood” and to claim they were “the most primitive homo sapiens on Earth.”

The party’s spokesperson said the remarks were “offensive, unacceptable and inconsistent with the values and standards expected of Liberal candidates,” adding that all candidates are required to treat Australians with dignity and respect. The spokesperson also noted that the party was not previously aware of Lindemann’s comments.

Lindemann, a real-estate agent who joined the Liberal Party last year, also posted insults toward supporters of the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament and made disparaging remarks about Aboriginal soldiers from World War II. Earlier posts on his personal Facebook page showed him questioning the COVID-19 vaccine and suggesting the reintroduction of the death penalty.

The revelations come amid a competitive Victorian state election, with Labor’s Melissa Horne holding Williamstown by a 13.4-point margin. Sports Minister Steve Dimopoulos, a Labor frontbencher, said the candidate should be disendorsed, emphasizing the need for safe community sport.

Lindemann previously faced a six-week suspension as a junior basketball coach after allegations he used abusive language toward a young player. He apologized for that incident, saying he acted on “first instinct” to protect a player.

The Liberal Party’s decision underscores the growing scrutiny of candidates’ online conduct ahead of the upcoming election.