Election 2022: Nazi slur on John Howard ‘beneath contempt’

John Howard has condemned as ‘beneath contempt’ a tweet by teal independents’ financial backer Simon Holmes a Court that branded the former prime minister ‘the angel of death’.

Climate 200 financier Simon Holmes a Court has drawn criticism for a Twitter post where he refers to former PM John Howard as the ‘Angel of Death’.

John Howard has condemned as “beneath contempt’’ a tweet by teal independents’ financial backer Simon Holmes a Court that branded the former prime minister “the angel of death’’.

“Angel of death’’ was the name given to Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, who performed grotesque medical experiments, mainly on Jews, including children, in Third Reich death camps.

Mr Holmes a Court made the reference in a tweet on Tuesday, complaining about Mr Howard’s visit to Kooyong to support Josh Frydenberg, who is fighting off a challenge from Monique Ryan. Mr Frydenberg is Jewish.

Mr Holmes a Court tweeted that Mr Howard “undermined kyoto agreement with the australia clause; then refused to ratify kyoto; lost the 2007 climate election & his own seat; welcome to kooyong john.’’

On the campaign trail, Mr Howard said: “The comment is beneath contempt.”

On Wednesday, Mr Holmes a Court sent a tweet which denied that he had compared Mr Howard to a Nazi. Mr Holmes a Court said he was quoting a Liberal who had described him tht way to the Saturday Paper.

Also on Wednesday, Mr Holmes a Court clashed with Liberal frontbencher Jane Hume at pre-polling in Kooyong, with Senator Hume repeatedly telling him to “please go away’’. Earlier in the day, amid an avalanche of criticism, he tweeted that his original tweet had quoted an unnamed Liberal observer who had referred to Mr Howard in The Saturday Paper as “the angel of death’’.

A Liberal source told The Saturday Paper that alongside Scott Morrison, Mr Howard was deployed to protect seats in danger. The former prime minister’s appearance tended to be a strong indicator that a Liberal seat was in peril. “You don’t send John Howard somewhere you don’t need him,” the source told the paper.

Later on Wednesday, Mr Holmes a Court tweeted that in calling Mr Howard the “angel of death … i was quoting a liberal who had described him as such … i believe liberal was referring to the biblical figure in exodus, and all reasonable people would understand it so’’.

Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich said the comparison to the Nazis had crossed several red lines. “To compare John Howard to a monster such as Josef Mengele, who performed sadistic and often deadly experiments on concentration camp inmates, including on children, is beyond ­offensive and beyond hurtful,” he said. “The oldest living Mengele twin who lives in Melbourne is a dear friend of mine and she would too be aghast.’’

In Sydney, Wentworth MP Dave Sharma, who is being challenged by teal independent Allegra Spender, challenged all teal independents to disown the tweet.

In Kooyong, the Treasurer said the tweet was a “despicable and ugly comment from someone who should know better”. “Mr Howard was one of Australia’s greatest prime ministers, respected across the board,” he said.

Mr Frydenberg said all teal candidates, including Dr Ryan, “must distance themselves from Mr Holmes a Court’s outrageous comments … If they do not, people can draw their own conclusions.’’

Dr Ryan’s spokesman did not respond to a request for comment, other than to send a link to Mr Holmes a Court’s later tweets.

In the seat of Goldstein, a spokeswoman for teal candidate Zoe Daniel, who is challenging Liberal MP Tim Wilson, declined to comment.

This is not Mr Holmes a Court’s first controversial tweet of the campaign.

On April 22, he posted a ­photograph of a teddy bear with its head hacked off, with the ­comment: “who had the worst day … my niece’s teddy or ­@joshfrydenberg?’’