Gold Coast election rookie Andy Semple on everything from Muslims to ‘miserable’ vegetarians and females with hairy armpits

ONE Nation candidate Andy Semple, who has tweeted about burkas being banned and his dislike of woman with hairy armpits, has pulled out of the race for the Gold Coast seat of Currumbin.

Andy Semple, the now former One Nation candidate for Currumbin. Pic Annette Dew

ONE Nation candidate Andy Semple, who has tweeted about burkas being banned and his dislike of woman with hairy armpits, has pulled out of the race for the Gold Coast seat of Currumbin.

The 44-year-old financial business adviser late last night tweeted that “sadly I’ve withdrawn my candidacy” adding that the party “only likes certain types of Freedom of Expression”.

Mr Semple this morning told the Bulletin his decision to pull out of the election followed a request by One Nation hierarchy for him to remove a tweet from his personal account.

“I refused to delete it. If I delete one today they will ask me to delete another tomorrow,” he said.

It came after members from both parties contacted the Gold Coast Bulletin yesterday to complain about Mr Semple’s views on Muslim dress.

One Nation’s Andy Semple will stand against the LNP’s Jann Stuckey in the marginal state seat of Currumbin. Photograph Glenn Barnes

But Mr Semple yesterday told the Bulletin he respected that some people would not like his views but he refused to be suffocated by political correctness.

“I say on my Twitter feed that political correctness stops here. I’m sick of the BS. I’m not going out of my way to say this person is a mongrel. I’m just tweeting my opinions — people either like what I say or don’t like it,” he said.

On his Twitter account earlier this month, Mr Semple tweeted that “if Australians are expected not to wear a balaclava in banks or courts why are some citizens permitted to cover their faces with a burka”.

He explained that he viewed the Burka a symbol of women’s oppression “brought on by Islamist misogynist men who view women as their property and not as an equal”.

After a noting a newspaper report about Peppa Pig being a corrupting influence for Muslim children, Mr Semple tweeted that “Muslims need to understand they need to assimilate and not colonise”.

Peppa Pig has a role to play in Australian life.

When a photograph was displayed of a woman leaving the NSW District Court, he tweeted “definition of an idiot Woman (sic) in full burka uses paper to hide her eye slot”.

“Personally when I meet someone, be they be male or female, I want to be able to see their face when I communicate with them,” Mr Semple told the Bulletin.

“It’s what humans do. Talking in person with some covered up be they in burka or a storm trooper’s costume is uncomfortable.”

He said it was important to understand that he did not judge all Muslims by the actions of few radical Islamists, just like not all firearms owners and recreational bikies should be viewed by the acts of some lunatics and criminals.

“All I want is our new Australians, be they of Muslims, Hindus, Christians or Jedi Knight faiths is accept our rules of law, accept our unique Australian culture, speak English and understand many Australians like to drink alcohol, consume pork products — men wear boardies and women wear bikini’s which I really don’t think is too much to ask,” Mr Semple said.

Obi-Wan needs to understand that Australian men wear boardies and women wear bikinis.

On Twitter he took a shot at champion boxer Anthony Mundine in September saying his call to boycott the national anthem showed he “has had too many blows to his head”.

Greens Senators were branded a “pack of ***holes” for not having the basic common courtesy to listen to their colleague make a maiden speech.

On other random tweets he targeted a referee during the Broncos-Titans semi-final who he described as “f … ing hopeless” after allowing Brisbane in for a try.”

Anthony Mundine “has had too many blows to the head”.

Mr Semple describes “Vegans as miserable people” and notes that “women with unshaven armpits — not cool at all”. He admits that on occasions he has been a “smart arse”.

“As for what I have tweeted over many years — that’s my opinion and sure some poor snowflake out there won’t like what I have to say,” he said.

“But by God as a free Australian I have a right to express my opinions and its quite pathetic that the ALP and LNP think they can score some win because of something I have tweeted in the past.”

Originally published as Gold Coast election rookie Andy Semple on everything from Muslims to ‘miserable’ vegetarians and females with hairy armpits