Leichhardt LNP candidate Jeremy Neal’s opinions have changed on Donald Trump
A Queensland LNP hopeful says he is committed to forming relationships with foreign countries following the Prime Minister’s description of him as a “far right” candidate because he once supported US President Donald Trump.
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A Queensland LNP hopeful says he is committed to forming relationships with foreign countries following the Prime Minister’s description of him as a “far right” candidate because he once supported US President Donald Trump.
The Coalition’s candidate for Leichhardt Jeremy Neal came under fire on Tuesday over deleted social media posts from 2020 and 2022.
In the posts, the paramedic said feminists aided Mr Trump’s election loss and labelled China a “grub of a country”.
Mr Neal immediately apologised for the posts before the PM launched an attack against what he described as the LNP’s “far-right” candidates on Wednesday.
“Then you have the (candidate) for Leichhardt — and we may be having some contact soon with that part of the world— (who) has made some extraordinary comments,” Mr Albanese said while in Sydney on the campaign trail on Wednesday.
“Warren Entsch, whatever differences I’ve had with him, he’s been a pretty good local member and advocate for his community.
“This bloke, I don’t know where they’re getting these far-right candidates from, but they would appear that they’re popping up everywhere, in Western Australia, in South Australia, in New South Wales, and now in Queensland.”
Mr Enstch hit back, warning the Prime Minister of the “dirt” he had on his Labor colleagues over 30 years of politics.
“If Albanese wants to start this shit-slinging contest, just remember, I’ve been around 30 years,” Mr Enstch said.
“With preselection, I had no issue with Jeremy himself, it was an issue with the process and I accepted the decision.
“I would dispute Jeremy is anything but middle of the road, nobody sees me as far right and Jeremy shares a lot of my views.”
Mr Neal on Wednesday conceded the social media posts were in line with his views of the time.
“Your opinions change as politics move. They were very much reflective of the time, now they’re not reflective of me at all,” he told the Cairns Post on Wednesday.
“I hate these bloody tariffs, these things are disastrous.
“Yeah I’m not going to dwell on the past, but obviously I’m not supportive anymore.
“Now we’re getting pushed around a little bit and I’m not supportive (of Mr Trump) whatsoever and we need to stand as a country and bring ourselves back together.”
Prior to Mr Neal’s posts surfacing and in an interview with the Cairns Post on March 19, Mr Neal said he was “not entirely” concerned about Mr Trump’s influence on the Far North.
“I do see his influence growing on Australia but I’m very fixed on being an Australian not American … we need Australian solutions for Australian problems, not American solutions.”
Asked if there were any elements of Mr Trump’s ideologies he would like Australia to adopt, Mr Neal said he hadn’t “been focusing too much” on the US President.
“I’m not afraid of looking at any country and how they’re fixing a problem and taking what they’re doing and sort of twisting it into an Australian answer. But there’s nothing that comes to mind of his that I would like to replicate, directly as a carbon copy.”
Mr Neal was contacted in relation to the PM’s views.
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Originally published as Leichhardt LNP candidate Jeremy Neal’s opinions have changed on Donald Trump
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