By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The Liberal campaign manager in Bruce has been reportedly sacked by the party over a series of abusive social media posts.
Andrew McNabb, a long-time Liberal member from Officer, is running the federal-election campaign for candidate Zahid Safi in a key seat held by Labor on a 5 per cent margin.
The Age reported that posts from an X account under McNabb’s name attacked female anti-Liberal critics, as well as politicians including Bruce Labor MP Julian Hill.
The invective included “leftist b-”, “ugly cow”, “F off you old dinosaur”, “lowlife”, “Get stuffed you over weight GRUB” and “Clearly you need to stick your tampons in your mouth to stop the s… running out”.
The Age reports that the X account of 32 followers has been since switched to private.
Bruce MP Julian Hill said in response: “I encourage the Bruce Liberals to keep speaking for themselves. It’s important that people know what they’re actually like.
“Meanwhile I’ll stay focused on our community.”
Star News sought comment from McNabb, Zahid Safi, La Trobe Liberal MP Jason Wood and the Liberal Party.
A Liberal Party spokesperson reportedly stated to The Age: “The party has been aware of completely unacceptable comments made by a volunteer.
“He is no longer involved in the campaign.
“Those comments do not reflect the party’s values or the standards we expect.”
McNabb was shrouded in similar controversy as a Cardinia Shire council election candidate in 2020.
He denied making controversial posts on his Facebook account, including supporting a ban on Muslim immigration.
His account had been hacked “a number of times”, he told Star News Group’s Pakenham-Berwick Gazette at the time.
“They aren’t my views … and I agree with you they are just wrong,” he then said.
In 2015, he was suspended from the party after leading a protest at a Berwick fundraiser for then-state upper house Liberal MP Inga Peulich.
As a talkback radio caller earlier that year, he publicly confronted the Liberal then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott, calling him the “world’s worst salesman”.
