Financial planner’s vile Twitter rant

HAVE you ever watched someone destroy their own career in real-time? A Brisbane-based financial planner may come to regret this.

A BRISBANE-BASED financial planner has launched an extraordinary anti-Semitic tirade against Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, describing him as a “tinkering Jew”.

James Howarth, the principal of Retirement Wealth Advisers, yesterday launched the Twitter attack on Mr Frydenberg over his support for proposed changes that would cut upfront commissions for financial advisers.

His licensor, Libertas Financial Planning, says it has terminated Mr Howarth’s authorised representative status.

“It’s inappropriate and unacceptable and does not reflect the culture of our dealer group and appropriate action has been taken,” Libertas managing director Mark Euvard told Independent Financial Adviser magazine.

“[Mr Howarth] has been served notice, terminating his [authorised representative status]. He now has to find a new dealer group”.

James Howarth.

Under the proposed life insurance changes, the cost of life insurance policies will be cut and upfront commission rates reduced from 120 per cent of premiums to 60 per cent by 2018.

Ongoing commissions will also be limited to 20 per cent of the premium from January next year.

“Get your Josh Frydenberg ‘Central Planning Jew’ punching bag AB. I ordered 5000 in on the next Cargo flight out of ShenZhen,” Mr Howarth tweeted yesterday.

“What a c--k sucker. First course of action was to regulate insurance salaries,” he wrote, adding: “Slap stick comedy Jew Frydenberg stars in Deregulating Regulator Regulating.”

Later he wrote: “‘The F--- Frydenberg’ movement is picking up steam. Free Markets or Central Planning Jews.”

As the tirade continued this morning, many warned Mr Howarth would be “lucky to have a career” after the comments, which he tweeted tagging multiple media outlets.

@SmartCompany @JoeHockey Slap stick comedy Jew Frydenberg stars in Deregulating Regulator Regulating. https://t.co/GmaQzS0Nnp

— James Howarth (@JamesRHowarth) June 28, 2015

@australian https://t.co/GmaQzS0Nnp … @JoshFrydenberg What a cock sucker. First course of action was to regulate insurance salaries.

— James Howarth (@JamesRHowarth) June 28, 2015

@JoshFrydenberg Josh Frydenberg - Central planning Jew or free market thinker? His tendencies toward communism will need to be watched.

— James Howarth (@JamesRHowarth) June 28, 2015

@JoshFrydenberg "The Fuck Frydenberg" movement is picking up steam. Free Markets or Central Planning Jews

— James Howarth (@JamesRHowarth) June 28, 2015

Get your Josh Frydenberg "Central Planning Jew" punching bag AB. I odered 5000 in on the next Cargo flight out of ShenZhen. @JoshFrydenberg

— James Howarth (@JamesRHowarth) June 28, 2015

Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson described the comments as “disgusting and outrageous”. Human Rights lawyer George Newhouse tweeted that the anti-Semitic comments were “a disgrace to all Australians”.

“Frydenberg’s career is over,” Mr Howarth wrote.

“Perhaps but his religion has nothing to do with it,” wrote Mr Newhouse in response.

Mr Howarth replied with a series of tweets, which he later deleted, asking if Mr Frydenberg was “afraid for Australia to know he’s a Jew”.

Peter Wertheim AM, executive director of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told news.com.au Mr Howarth’s “gratuitous references to Minister Frydenberg’s race and religion are a damning indictment of himself, not the Minister”.

“If Howarth had anything meaningful to say about the government’s actions or policies he would not need to stoop to playing the man instead of the ball,” he said.

“His antisemitic rant is a disgrace, especially for someone in his position, and his reported refusal to withdraw or apologise just digs him into a deeper hole.”

Dr. Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission, said he was “outraged and disgusted” by the tirade. “This type of grotesque religious bigotry has no place in Australian politics and debate,” he said.

“It is deeply troubling that Mr Howarth has injected race and religion into a legitimate public discussion, and has employed hateful descriptions that play into classic anti-Semitic charges of powerful Jews controlling and wanting to centralise financial markets.

“I am appalled that in today’s age we still see this kind of prejudice, and know that our leaders will not stand for such expressions and will unequivocally condemn this repugnant attack on Mr Frydenberg. I also hope that Mr Howarth wakes up to the severity of his comments and apologises.”

Mr Howarth did not return calls this morning. He told The Australian yesterday he stood by the comments and defended his “right to free speech”.

“This nasty, personal and ­derogatory language is not becoming of a financial adviser, let alone anyone else, and is completely over the top,” Mr Frydenberg told The Australian yesterday.

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