by Cam Lucadou-Wells
The Liberal campaign manager in Bruce has denied making a series of abusive social media posts that led to him being sacked from the campaign.
Andrew McNabb, a long-time Liberal member from Officer, says that the offending X account under his name is not his.
“Currently X is investigating this account as the email address attached to it is not mine.”
McNabb had been 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 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.”
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 Pakenham Star 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”.
