Federal election campaign in Wentworth gets ugly as Kerryn Phelps targeted with racist emails
Wentworth MP Dr Kerryn Phelps says she has referred racist emails falsely claiming she is ineligible to stand at the federal election to the Australian Federal Police.
Key points:
- Similar emails were sent during last year's Wentworth by-election
- Dr Phelps described the new batch of emails as "very disturbing"
- Her main opponent, Liberal Dave Sharma, condemned the "inciteful and divisive" emails
The emails were yesterday sent to an unknown number of voters and contained incorrect voting information and several anti-Semitic remarks.
They falsely claim Dr Phelps is ineligible to stand at the election because she is an Israeli citizen.
The independent was also targeted with obscene emails claiming she had AIDS during last year's Wentworth by-election, in which she narrowly beat Liberal candidate Dave Sharma.
Dr Phelps said it was the fifth round of vicious emails to have circulated about her, but said the latest attacks amounted to electoral interference.
"The content of the emails is very disturbing," she said.
"The problem with this kind of email is that it's an incitement to hatred, we know what the consequences of that could be.
"Whichever individual or group is responsible is trying to influence the outcome of an election and I think they should be investigated and brought to justice."
She said she was frustrated with the AFP, and claimed they stopped investigating the last round of emails after the Wentworth by-election.
"The Australian Federal Police need to take this seriously and I have asked for them to increase their efforts," she said.
Sharma condemns 'racist, bigoted' emails
The new emails — which contains numerous spelling and grammatical errors — claim Dr Phelps "is hiding" to "avoid jail from this fraud".
"Kerryn Phelps has been disqualified from election, she is a Jew and entitled to automatic Israeli citizenship," it read.
"This is very urgent, the voting card has been printed already, you will still see her name, but she is no longer eligible."
The email also asked recipients to remove and shred Dr Phelp's posters and to cast their vote for Mr Sharma instead.
There is no suggestion the emails had anything to do with Mr Sharma, or the Liberal Party.
Mr Sharma condemned the "inciteful" and "divisive" emails and said he immediately referred them to the AFP last night.
"These bigoted and racist emails have no place in our democracy," he said.
"I also do not think that the media should be amplifying such hateful voices."
Last month, Dr Phelp's campaign posters were torn down along Rose Bay and Bondi.