Victorian Liberal candidate Jeremy Hearn sacked after appalling anti-Muslim rant

A Melbourne Liberal candidate who posted a series of horrific anti-Islam comments has been sacked after saying Muslims are “of bad character” and should be refused Australian citizenship.

A Melbourne Liberal candidate who posted a series of horrific anti-Muslim comments has been sacked.

Jeremy Hearn, who is vying for the Melbourne seat of Isaacs, said he wanted taxpayers to stop funding Australia’s Muslim schools because they are waging “rebellion against the government”.

In a series of highly divisive comments online, Mr Hearn said all Muslims subscribed to an ideology of “killing or enslavement of the citizens of Australia if they do not become Muslim”.

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Liberal candidate Jeremy Hearn.

He said Muslims wanted to “replace the Australian government and legal system with sharia” and were “lying about their purpose to conceal their activities”.

He has since apologised, telling the Herald Sun: “Those comments were entirely wrong and I apologise unreservedly for them.”

Victorian Liberal leader Michael O’Brien said Jeremy Hearn’s comments were “appalling” and he rejected them entirely.

Asked if he would be sacked as the party’s candidate for Isaacs, Mr O’Brien said: “Watch this space.”

Mr Hearn was sacked later on Wednesday.

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The Herald Sun understands Victorian Liberal president Robert Clark circulated a motion on Wednesday morning in favour of the administrative committee formally disendorsing Mr Hearn.

Sources at the time said the motion will be successful.

As prepoll has already opened, he will remain on the ballot for the electorate but will lose all party support and resources.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was also vocal in criticising Mr Hearn on Wednesday morning, calling for the Victorian Liberals to dump him.

Mr Frydenberg told the Herald Sun Mr Hearn’s views were “appalling” and there must be “no place in the party for people with these views”.

Last year, Mr Hearn wrote in a comment on Quadrant magazine’s online site: “How can a person holding such beliefs honestly swear allegiance to the Queen and her government in Australia?

“No oath of allegiance from a person following such an ideology can or should be accepted by the Australian government under the current law. They are clearly people of bad character.

Liberal candidate Jeremy Hearn (third from right) with Communications Minister Mitch Field.

“Muslim schools (places where such an unacceptable ideology is taught) operate in Australia with the support of state and federal money. The various Australian governments must stop giving money to organisations which are essentially fomenting (sic) rebellion against the government.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison called on Australians to end “mindless tribalism” and “disagree better” in the wake of the mosque shooting in Christchurch in March.

He said he wanted to engage in a “broader reflection” on “how we see difference in our world and how we manage it”.

“If we allow a culture of ‘us and them’, of tribalism, to take hold; if we surrender an individual to be defined not by their own unique worth and contribution but by the tribe they are assigned to; if we yield to the compulsion to pick sides rather than happy coexistence, we will lose what makes diversity work in Australia.”

Shadow Attorney-General and Member for Isaacs, Mark Dreyfus on Tuesday night said the Liberals “must sack” Mr Hearn as an endorsed candidate “immediately”.

“These disgusting and divisive comments have no place in Australia and they should have no place in a mainstream political party,” he said.

“His comments are hate speech and they are abhorrent. An apology is not enough. Morrison must kick him out. If he doesn’t, he will confirm his party is a Right-wing party which associates with Islamophobia, and the Liberal Party will lose any right to speak for mainstream Victorians.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an end to ‘mindless tribalism’ after the Christchurch mosque shootings. Picture: Gary Ramage

Isaacs, which includes suburbs such as Mordialloc, Keysborough, Aspendale, Aspendale Gardens, Edithvale, Bonbeach, Patterson Lakes and Carrum, is held by Labor by 2.3 per cent.

Senior Liberals have been critical of the party’s candidate vetting process and have argued internally it needs to change.

The party endured a chaotic lead-up to the close of nominations ahead of the May 18 federal poll, dumping three candidates over Section 44 issues and a fourth, Murray Angus in Corio, for not following party rules and procedures.

Last week another Liberal candidate was forced to apologise for linking same-sex marriage with paedophilia during the same-sex marriage debate.

Gurpal Singh, running to take the safe Labor seat of Scullin, said legalising same-sex marriage could open the gates to more sexual abuse of children during a radio interview in 2017.

Mr Hearn also hit out at the prospect of gay marriage in 2017, saying there would be “no word to describe the foundation relationship of society”.

“Imagine talking about how your grandparents were in a gay relationship! It’s nonsense,” Mr Hearn’s post read.

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