Liberal candidate dumped over Facebook posts

The Victorian Liberal Party has dumped its candidate for the Melbourne seat of Scullin after he dismissed a woman’s rape.

Gurpal Singh has resigned after Facebook comments emerged in which he dismissed a woman’s allegation of rape.

The Victorian Liberal Party has dumped its candidate for the outer northern Melbourne seat of Scullin, after Facebook posts emerged in which he dismissed a woman’s allegation of rape, abuse and violence by her former husband, saying he was the “real victim”.

Gurpal Singh’s comments were made in response to an SBS Punjabi article published in May last year, in which a young Punjabi Indian Australian woman accused her former husband of violent rape and physical, emotional and financial abuse of her and their two children

over the course of a nine year relationship.

The comments follow his “unreserved” apology for an SBS Punjabi radio interview in which Mr Singh, who is a Punjabi Indian Australian, said there was “an issue of paedophilia” for children of same-sex couples while arguing against same-sex marriage in 2017.

A spokesman for the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party said:

“Based on new information that has come to light, Mr Gurpal Singh has been asked to resign as the candidate for Scullin.

“Mr Singh sincerely apologises for his previous comments and has tendered his resignation,” the spokesman said.

In response to the woman’s allegations against her former husband, against whom she had recently obtained an AVO, Mr Singh wrote that he had “no sympathy” for her and questioned why she had remained with the man for so long.

“I totally disagree with the allegation of rape,” Mr Singh wrote.

“It’s shameful that a married woman suffering family violence can go to such extent. No sympathy.

“Such element brings bad name to whole community. She skimmed her lover, husband and father of her two children for all these years.

“And now she alleges rape. Was she kept locked all these year (sic)?

“Not a great and respectful statement. So is the reporting.”

In another comment, Mr Singh said the “real victim” was the husband.

Earlier today, in response to repeated calls for Mr Singh to be dumped as a candidate over his comments regarding same-sex marriage, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the matter had been dealt with and Mr Singh would remain as the Liberal candidate in Scullin.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told ABC radio Mr Singh had made the comments in 2017 “as a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, and that issue of same-sex marriage has now been dealt with.”

Liberal candidate for Higgins Katie Allen told ABC radio Mr Singh had apologised for the comments linking same-sex marriage to paedophilia, saying “he comes from a background where those sorts of views are more widely held.”

The Victorian Liberal Party has been contacted for comment.

The safe Labor seat of Scullin, which includes the rapidly growing suburbs of Bundoora, Thomastown, Mill Park, Lalor, Epping, South Morang, Wollert and Mernda, is held by Labor’s assistant schools spokesman Andrew Giles with a margin of 17.2 per cent.