Election 2022: Frydenberg rebukes Daniel campaign over tweet about Hitler

Josh Frydenberg has called on Zoe Daniel to distance herself from her campaign manager, who said in a 2020 tweet that both Adolf Hitler and Scott Morrison had an ‘altered reality’.

Goldstein independent candidate Zoe Daniel.

Josh Frydenberg has called on independent candidate Zoe Daniel to distance herself from her campaign manager, Sue Barrett, who said in a 2020 tweet that both Adolf Hitler and Scott Morrison had an “altered reality”.

Ms Daniel is running for the blue-ribbon Liberal seat of Goldstein in Melbourne against government MP Tim Wilson and is being backed by Simon Holmes a Court’s Climate 200 group.

Her campaign is being run by Ms Barrett, whose husband, Jobst Schmalenbach, also said on social media in April 2019 that “the Jewish right-wing lobby group should simply shut up” after Jewish advocates described Labor politician Melissa Parke as “extreme and divisive”.

The Treasurer, who is Jewish, said on Friday that he was “deeply, deeply disappointed by such commentary”.

“As for community groups, whether they’re wonderful Italian groups, or Greek groups or Jewish groups, or Ukrainian groups … whatever ethnic or religious group they may represent, they have a right to speak up and not be told to shut up,” he said.

Mr Frydenberg also said that “to equate Scott Morrison with Adolf Hitler, and then to be advising somebody running for public office, it’s just not on”.

“I would hope and expect that Zoe Daniel would distance herself from such appalling comments. And if she doesn’t, it’s a very sad reflection on her.”