Victorian Labor Senate candidate Jess Walsh now backs party’s Australia Day position
Labor‘s No.2 Victorian Senate pick says she’s changed her mind and now backs the party position.
A Labor candidate who is almost certain to become a Victorian senator on Saturday described Australia Day as a celebration of “genocide” less than 18 months ago, but now says she supports the ALP’s position on the issue.
The about face from former United Voice state secretary Jess Walsh, who is Labor’s Number Two candidate on the Victorian Senate ticket, came as the party’s Number Four Victorian candidate Parvinder Serwara admitted memes he had liked on Facebook which trivialised public grief over the Boston marathon bombing and denigrated women were “insensitive and wrong”.
Dr Walsh made the comments in response to the City of Yarra’s 2018 decision to stop holding citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day.
In a Facebook post, she commented: “So the Fed Govt thinks Yarra has politicised Oz Day. How much more political can we be than continuing to celebrate the genocide of First Australians every year. Congrats Yarra for leading an important debate.”
In response to The Australian’s questions regarding the post and whether she still regards Australia Day as a celebration of “genocide”, Dr Walsh said: “As an endorsed Labor candidate I support the Labor Party’s position on Australia Day.”
In her role as Victorian secretary of the union which looks after hospitality and childcare workers, Dr Walsh launched Hospo Voice, the digital union for hospitality workers which has recently resulted in the exposure of a number of high profile cases of alleged wage theft.
She was catapulted to the second position on Labor’s Victorian Senate ticket as part of a factional deal which saw sitting Senator Gavin Marshall dropped to the unwinnable third spot.
Liberal Senator James Paterson, who is first on the Victorian Liberal Senate ticket, said Dr Walsh’s 2018 comments were “extreme and divisive” and clearly contradicted bipartisan support for Australia Day.
“The question is, does Bill Shorten stand by his Number Two Victorian Senate candidate who’s virtually certain to join him in Caucus after this election, or will he repudiate her views?” Senator Paterson said.
Mr Sarwara was caught liking two controversial memes on Facebook.
One trivialised public grief over the Boston Marathon bombing, comparing it with the public response to violence in the Gaza strip.
Another reinforced sexist stereotypes of women, stating: “I am sure that in alcohol there are female hormones. When I drink I talk too much and don’t know how to drive.”
Asked about the comments by The Australian, Mr Serwara said: “These posts were insensitive and wrong and I apologise.”
Senator Paterson said a Labor candidate had “yet again” been exposed with social media activity in very poor taste.
“Bill Shorten is very quick to criticise others, but what action will he take against this candidate?” Senator Paterson said.
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