NSW One Nation MP Mark Latham has been criticised for an offensive tweet following Sunday night’s leaders’ debate.
The second televised leaders’ debate between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was hosted by Sarah Abo on the Nine Network.
Latham took to Twitter to slam the host over voting screw-ups which initially declared Morrison the winner, and then shifted in favour of Albanese, before ultimately finishing in a dead heat.
Following the debate Latham wrote: “Never trust an Abo with something as important as that”, a comment many Twitter users called “thinly-veiled racism”, criticising him for attempting to use a racial slur to make a joke at the debate host’s expense.
One user wrote: “I get it. The moderator’s name is Sarah Abo and abo is also a racist slur. It’s clever because it works on two levels. Stay classy Mark”.
To which Mark Latham replied: “Only one level…”
Another angry Twitter user posted: “Not the flex you thought that comment was champ, what a revolting man you are”.
Shortening the word “Aboriginal” to its first three letters has long been considered offensive in Australia due to its historical usage intended to demean and denigrate First Nations people.
