Dumped Liberal candidate David Barker defends Muslim comments

DUMPED Liberal candidate David Barker doesn't know why he has been disendorsed despite making controversial anti-Muslim comments.

DUMPED Liberal candidate David Barker doesn't know why he has been disendorsed despite making controversial anti-Muslim comments.

Mr Barker was replaced as the Liberal candidate for the safe Labor seat of Chifley in Western Sydney today by Venus Priest, 40, a former nurse and small business owner who emigrated to Australia from the Philippines in 1995.

The disgraced candidate used his Facebook site to accuse Labor of moving the nation closer to a Muslim country and attacked his ALP opponent in Chifley, Ed Husic, over his religion.

Today Mr Barker stood by his statements, telling the ABC there should not be a Muslim in parliament and questioning whether the country was ready for an atheist prime minister.

“I'm not anti-Muslim,” he said. “I believe everyone should have their own beliefs.

“But I don't know if we want at this stage in Australian politics a Muslim in the parliament and an atheist running the government.”

Mr Barker said he did not understand why he had been disendorsed.

“I made a comment that I believe God is the only way to heaven and we shouldn't have a Muslim candidate running in that area,” he said.

Liberal Party state director Mark Neeham said Mr Barker had not conducted himself in a way the party expected of its candidates for the August 21 election.

And Opposition Leader Tony Abbott endorsed the party's decision, saying Mr Barker is “gone, he's finished”.

Mr Abbott said it was not appropriate to attack people because of their religious convictions.

“Attacks on people based on their religion have no place in this election campaign,” he said.