One Nation’s candidate for Melbourne, Matthew Collins, has stepped down from the upcoming Victorian state election just four weeks before polling day after offensive online posts resurfaced. The 35-year-old candidate withdrew his candidacy on Friday following reports of remarks concerning sexual consent, anti-Muslim rhetoric, and conspiracy theories.
The controversy emerged as the state election campaign officially launched, leaving the minor party scrambling in a Greens-held electorate. The Victorian Electoral Commission has set the final deadline for candidate nominations at midday on November 9.
Online Comments on Consent Spark Outrage
The backlash centered on posts made on a since-deleted X account before Collins was selected as a candidate. In February 2020, Collins posted that he had never asked a woman for consent, writing that consent is “all implied by a woman’s actions and attraction levels which any astute man will be paying attention to,” according to The Age. Additional reports from the masthead detailed that Collins had also labeled asking for sexual consent as “cringe” and shared pornographic jokes.
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson addressed the controversy on Sunday, stating that the former candidate’s views were “absolutely disgusting” and that he should be condemned. “So now she must answer whether she is comfortable working alongside people with these views,” a spokesperson for Labor said, noting that One Nation had stated a desire to make a deal with the Liberals while [Opposition Leader] Jess Wilson won’t rule it out. Ms Wilson described Mr Collins’s comments as “absolutely disgusting”. “He should be condemned for it,” she added.
Warren Pickering Defends Candidate Vetting Process
One Nation state leader Warren Pickering defended the party’s candidate selection process while addressing an anti-immigration rally in Melbourne, noting that political opponents had spent months trawling through social media histories to unearth the posts. Pickering told the media that vetting 120 candidates thoroughly presented significant resource challenges against targeted digital assaults, though he maintained that the party's due diligence was thorough.
A One Nation spokesperson confirmed the resignation, stating that the party does not condone the remarks. In a statement provided through the organization, Collins offered an apology, saying the past posts no longer represent who he is today and that he deeply regrets making them.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Melbourne Electorate Contest
Who was Matthew Collins running against in the Victorian election?
Matthew Collins was standing as the One Nation candidate in the Greens-held seat of Melbourne against Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell.
What are the key polling numbers ahead of the November election?
A Resolve poll for The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age places the Coalition leading the primary vote at 28 per cent, followed by Labor at 25 per cent, One Nation at 23 per cent and the Greens at 12 per cent.
Victorian One Nation candidate Matthew Collins who 'never once asked a woman for consent' quits as offensive posts are exposed https://t.co/WN81tFW3ZI
Has One Nation selected a replacement candidate for Melbourne?
One Nation leadership stated the party is in the process of endorsing another candidate to replace Collins before the Victorian Electoral Commission nomination deadline.
Anti-Immigration Rally and Protest Details
Attendees yelled phrases such as: “Shut the gate, re-migrate.” There were also brief chants of “Australia for the white man,” a phrase associated with neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network.
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