Liberal Party candidate Vivek Singha has issued an apology after a series of offensive social media posts were uncovered, including derogatory remarks targeting Indigenous Australians and deeply personal attacks on federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.
Singha, who is contesting the hotly watched Western Sydney seat of Fowler, came under fire after ABC News revealed multiple inflammatory posts from his X account dating back to 2023, during the lead-up to the Voice to Parliament referendum.
In one post from October 2023, Singha wrote: “50K per a**, already being spent, they’ll want 500K per head.” The post, which appeared to reference Indigenous Australians in opposition to the Voice, was flagged by X for potentially breaching rules against “hateful content.”
Between August and October that year, several more posts using similar derogatory language were made, including one that read: “Everybody needs to wake up to the sleeping lazybags (the Alboriginals).”
Singha also used his account to make a highly personal attack on Minister Plibersek, referencing a tragic family matter involving her daughter, who had experienced domestic violence. One post questioned Plibersek’s credibility, stating: “Why are YOU @tanya_plibersek of all people standing for others when you couldn’t even look after your own daughters (sic) safety… Anyword (sic) coming out of this person is as good as a puff frm the backside!!! cannot keep my home safe give me a blank cheque for a****.”
Over a week later, his account shared excerpts of media coverage involving Plibersek’s husband, NSW public servant Michael Coutts-Trotter, who has previously spoken publicly about his criminal history and past drug addiction. The post read: “Wow it is a great team (NOT) that is now leading the nation!!! That’s why her daughter was bashed.”
After ABC News contacted the Liberal Party for comment, Singha’s X account was deactivated on Sunday afternoon.
In a statement provided to ABC News, Singha said: “I apologise for the social media posts, I should not have expressed myself in that way and I sincerely regret doing so.”
Singha is not considered a frontrunner in the race for Fowler, a seat currently held by independent MP Dai Le. Labor is aiming to reclaim it with candidate Tu Le, after the party’s 2022 bid was derailed by the controversial parachuting of Kristina Keneally into the multicultural electorate.
