Victorian Greens stand by candidates despite date rape lyrics and 'offensive' Facebook pages

The Victorian Greens are standing by two candidates, including one who rapped about date rape and used homophobic slurs and degrading terms about women.

The Greens candidate in Footscray, Angus McAlpine, apologised on Tuesday for the "reprehensible" lyrics he rapped as the frontman in hip hop outfit Broken Aesthetiks.

The lyrics included lines such as: "Got no class when trying to get some a**, put a rowie [Rohypnol] in your glass and wait for a few minutes to pass" and "date rape drugs in her drink then have my way."

Mr McAlpine said he had been on a journey of discovery that had taught him about "toxic masculinity".

He said the lyrics, on an album released in 2010, were a "shocking attempt" at crude humour that he made because he was "incredibly stupid and moronic".

But in a YouTube video from 2017, Mr McAlpine is asked about an ideal trip and replies "a Polynesian island with topless chicks giving me coconuts".

The ABC can also reveal that the party's candidate in the safe Liberal seat of Sandringham, Dominic Phillips, "liked" Facebook pages that are degrading to women and racist.

The pages Mr Phillips "liked" included "Period Pains, Try waiting for your porn to download," "Twinkle twinkle little slut, name one guy you haven't f--ked" and "I'd swim in the ocean for you … LOL jks, id get my turban wet [sic]."

In response to questions from the ABC, a Greens spokesman said Mr Phillips had made some stupid decisions on social media.

"These are pages that he liked as a young teenager, and do not reflect his values. They are offensive and crass, and he apologises," a spokesman said.

The Greens pitch themselves as a party of equality but in recent times have been plagued by allegations of bullying and harassment.

State party leader Samantha Ratnam said Mr McAlpine had been on a "journey of change" and it was important for men to own up to their mistakes.

"Those lyrics were reprehensible, unacceptable and have no place in our community," Ms Ratnam said.

"It speaks to the culture of toxic masculinity that so many men, so many young people, are vulnerable to and fall prey to.

"If we are going to change the culture of toxic masculinity we need more men to own up, take responsibility, apologise and commit to change."

Greens' vetting process under question

Ms Ratnam conceded the party needed to improve its vetting, saying she was unaware of Mr McAlpine's past.

But he told reporters that he did declare his hip hop past to party officials.

The Greens are aiming to seize more inner-city seats from Labor in the November 24 election and win the balance of power in the Lower House.

The party has already lost Upper House candidate Joanna Nilson over posts she made on Facebook about shoplifting, and derogatory comments about a female Liberal staffer.

Mr McAlpine said that in 2012 he moved overseas to escape the culture of toxic masculinity and cheap humour that dominated hip hop culture.

He said he joined the Greens three years ago in a bid to tell "young blokes out there and say you can call out that bad culture".

NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong on Tuesday called on her colleague Jeremy Buckingham to step aside over sexual harassment allegations.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy said Mr McAlpine's lyrics were "repugnant and offensive".

"We hear a lot about fake news, but I think we are seeing a lot about fake values when it comes to the Greens and their failure to stand up," Ms Hennessy said.

"I think it is a real test of their character."

The Liberal Party said the controversial candidates highlighted the risks of a minority Labor government supported by the Greens.

"The Greens have made it clear that if they hold the balance of power after the next state election, they will try to form government with Victorian Labor," Liberal MP Tim Smith said.

"This means that questionable individuals like Mr McAlpine could be in a coalition government with Daniel Andrews."