Young LNP accused of posting white-power sign

Labor has called on Malcolm Turnbull to launch an inquiry into “extremist behaviour” in the Liberal National Party.

Labor has called on Malcolm Turnbull to launch an inquiry into “extremist behaviour” in the Liberal National Party after members of its youth branch were pictured giving an “OK” hand gesture, which can be associated with white supremacist movements.

A group of Young LNP members were photographed alongside LNP senator James McGrath this month while campaigning in Longman, with some making the “OK” sign. The photo also was tweeted by Senator McGrath but later taken down.

However, it had not been removed from the Young LNP Facebook page by deadline last night.

LNP sources said Senator McGrath’s post was deleted because the photo contained a corflute with a message the party had not yet decided to use and did not want released. The hand ­gesture had not been noticed.

Youth members of the LNP give the sign for white power. Picture: Facebook.

The three fingers in the air are said to make a “W” while the sign turned upside down creates a “P”, for white power.

Revelations of the existence of the photo come just days out from the Super Saturday by-elections, with the contest for the marginal Queensland seat of Longman neck-and-neck between the LNP and Labor.

The men making the gesture — including Timothy Wright, Mortimer Duff and Mitchell Ablett-Nelson — declined to comment when contacted yesterday.

Sources aware of the photo said the gesture was not deliberate and those making it believed it was simply a “hunky dory”, “everything’s OK” sign. They also said the men were not aware of any white-power connotations or ­associations with right-wing groups, and it was a gesture many people had made since childhood.

The Australian was sent photos of former US president Barack Obama, former prime minister Kevin Rudd and comedian Ricky Gervais making the “OK” sign.

The sign began as a prank several years ago but has since been embraced by members of the white nationalist alt-right movement.

Controversial alt-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos has posed with the hand sign and an intern for US President Donald Trump, Jack Breuer, came under fire after he was photographed in the White House making the gesture.

Four Alabama police officers were recently suspended after being accused of making the symbol in a photo following an arrest.

Queensland Labor MP Murray Watt said it was “disgraceful”, and the Prime Minister needed to investigate how far extremist behaviour had infiltrated the LNP.