Billboard of treasurer Josh Frydenberg defaced with Nazi symbols

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has lashed the “cowardly and criminal” act of a vandal who defaced one of his billboards with Nazi symbols.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has lashed the “cowardly and criminal” act of a vandal who defaced one of his billboards with Nazi symbolism.

A picture of Mr Frydenberg on a billboard in Kew was defaced with a Hitler moustache and swastika in recent days.

Mr Frydenberg said it was “an insult to every victim of the Holocaust and every Australian serviceman and woman who fought against Nazi ­tyranny”.

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“To think that this cowardly and criminal act was committed just days after Holocaust Remembrance Day (in Israel) shows how ignorant the perpetrators are of the horrors of history,” he said.

“This incident is not about me or my campaign but about a broader and disturbing trend in society of anti-Semitism and intolerance.

A Josh Frydenberg billboard defaced with Nazi symbolism.

“Mutual respect is at the heart of a good society. Let’s debate ideas and people’s words and records, but let’s not as a community accept for one minute this type of behaviour or attitude.”

Vandals damaged several other posters of Mr Frydenberg in his Kooyong electorate last month. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said it was ­“utterly unacceptable” and should be “condemned in the strongest possible terms”.

Anti Defamation Commission chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich said the “virus of intolerance has to stop”.

“We deplore these ugly ­actions for what they are: a ­repulsive and hateful assault on our democratic system and on our core principles,” he said.

“We … trust that those who carried out this crime are identified and are brought to justice.

“We call on all religious and politics leaders to strongly denounce this outrageous attack against our elected ­representatives, and to declare in one voice that such conduct will never be tolerated in our nation.”