Independent Ellie Smith supported anti-coal ASX hoax in unearthed 2013 social media posts

A Climate 200-backed Independent trying to unseat Peter Dutton once equated an anti-coal activist whose hoax wiped millions from the stock market as a modern day Rosa Parks.

A Climate 200-backed independent trying to unseat Peter Dutton in his ultra-marginal Queensland seat once equated an anti-coal activist whose hoax wiped millions from the stock market as a modern day Rosa Parks.

Independent candidate for Dickson Ellie Smith, in newly unearthed social media posts, also said “unjust laws need to be broken” when she defended the 2013 actions of an anti-coal activist whose hoax email caused a $314m slump in the share market value of coal company Whitehaven.

The actions of Johnathan Moylan — who pleaded guilty in 2014 and was sentenced to 20 months jail with immediate release — also impacted individual mum and dad investors unaware their retirement savings were invested in coal.

Dickson Decides unveil their independent candidate Ellie Smith to run against Peter Dutton in Dickson at a community launch in Bunya. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Ms Smith, in a 2013 exchange on social media, voiced support for Mr Moylan’s actions and stated “Rosa Parks broke the law” — in reference to the American civil rights activist best known for her protest against segregation in 1955.

“Rosa Parks broke the law. The Suffragettes broke the law. Unjust laws need to be broken,” Ms Smith stated.

Another social media user then responded, saying it wasn’t “right” that innocent people were impacted, particularly if those that lost money they were “counting on for their retirement”.

Ms Smith then stated that same argument had been used “against abolishing slavery.”

“What about the slave owners who depended on slaves for their retirement?” she said.

Mr Dutton sits on the slimmest margin of any MP in Queensland, with a buffer of just 1.7 per cent.

Independent for Dickson Ellie Smith tweets from 2013 justifiying an anti-coal activist's ANZ stockmarket hoax which sparked a $314m slump for Whitehaven on the ASX.

It means the Opposition Leader will be under pressure to shore up his own electorate--- a cluster of outer-suburban mortgage-belt suburbs north of Brisbane — as he attempts to lead the Coalition to a historic election victory.

Ms Smith acknowledged the social media posts from 2013 and said there had been a lot of community opposition to Whitehaven’s Maules Creek mine at the time — but she did not say if she still stood by her comments from the time.

“My career has been focused on being a strong advocate for communities, including farmers being stood over by big energy companies,” she said.

“Politics is being dragged into the gutter. There’s a real integrity deficit in Canberra at the moment and people in communities like Dickson deserve better.”

Ms Smith has previously confirmed she had received financial backing from Climate 200, founded by activist and businessman Simon Holmes a Court.

Climate 200 has increased its backing of so-called Teal candidates in Queensland, financially backing independents in the Gold Coast seats of McPherson and Moncrieff and the Sunshine Coast seats in Fisher and Fairfax.

Labor’s candidate in Dickson is Ali France, a disability advocate and motivational speaker who is facing off against Mr Dutton for the third time.