One Nation drops Victorian candidate over Hitler praise

One Nation has disendorsed its candidate for Preston in the Victorian election after social-media posts emerged praising Adolf Hitler. The party said it acted on Tuesday morning after being alerted to the posts and checking them with the candidate.

Franco Guardiani had replied to a post asking people to describe Hitler with an acronym meaning greatest of all time. The account also contained anti-Muslim material. A party official confirmed the posts were genuine after discussing them with Guardiani.

Victorian party leader Warren Pickering condemned the comments and said Guardiani was no longer part of One Nation. He said people holding such views had no place in the party, referring to the persecution experienced by Jewish Australians.

Guardiani was no longer listed as a candidate on the party's official website when the report was published. He had been contacted for comment. Questions remain about how the posts escaped candidate screening, after the party had said it invested time and money in improving its vetting. The decision concerns this Victorian candidacy and is separate from other recent controversies involving the party.