The official Facebook page for a NSW branch of the Labor Party has come under fire after posting memes featuring prominent Liberal Party figures, references to Nazis, and offensive language.
Balmain Labor, the “official” Facebook page for the Balmain Branch of the Labor Party, has posted several memes over the last several months that have targeted Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Pentecostal faith, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, and Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff.
A meme about Mr Morrison’s Pentecostal faith, screen grabbed by the Daily Telegraph. Image: The Daily Telegraph
The first post, dated January 16, was a picture of Mr Morrison from a Pentecostal service with the text, “Help me sky daddy, I f***ed up again” superimposed over the image.
Another, posted in March 4 that depicts Mr Frydenberg in a Nazi uniform under the text “Bogan’s Heroes”, has caused particular ire due to the fact his mother was a Holocaust survivor and that serveral of his relatives died in Nazi concentration camps.
Josh Frydenberg was Photoshopped into a Nazi uniform in the meme. Image: The Daily Telegraph
A third post from April 3 has been criticised for alluding to Peta Credlin, Mr Abbott’s former chief of staff, as being a witch.
Other posts on the page have included official ALP posts and inoffensive memes created by Labor supporters.
A screengrab of the meme referencing Peta Credlin from Balmain Labor. Image: The Daily Telegraph
The offensive posts emerged several hours after the Sky News debate between Mr Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese, which was criticised for being “biased” against Mr Albanese by audience members, per The Daily Mail.
“I thought it was a little bit unfair that Sky News gave Scott Morrison more time to speak, and kept cutting off Anthony. So yeah, I’m a little bit disappointed with that,” one woman told debate host Paul Murray.
Meanwhile, Labor officials have said the Balmain Facebook page wasn’t an official party page and that individual branches often run their own social media without oversight, as reported by The Daily Telegraph.
“This is not an official Australian Labor Party page and its content is not authorised or endorsed by Labor,” a NSW Labor spokesman said.
“The images should not have been posted.”
At the time of publication, the Balmain Labor Facebook page has been deleted.
Images: The Daily Telegraph
