Opposition leader Peter Dutton has stood by a Liberal candidate who allegedly used derogatory terms about Indigenous Australians, only days after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese headed off criticism of a Labor candidate over Nazi comparisons.

Some posts on the now-inactive account also criticised Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek after it was reported her daughter had experienced domestic violence at the hands of a former partner.

“They have been involved in all sorts of horrible doxxing and comments online that are repugnant but not repudiated by the prime minister.”

Adam Bandt responds to Dutton’s comments

“I’m not going to take lectures from someone who has made a career out of punching down and hurting marginalised communities in an attempt to win votes, because that’s what Peter Dutton has done, and he continues to do it to this day,” Bandt replied when asked about the Opposition leader’s remarks.

Greens leader Adamn Bandt said Peter Dutton had “made a career out of punching down and hurting marginalised communities”. Source: AAP / Jason O’Brien

“We have been crystal clear. Australia is a multicultural society. We have always opposed antisemitism, Islamophobia, any form of racism. But we’ve also said clearly, look, armies have got to stop killing children. We are seeing a slaughter in Gaza. And we’re just saying, really simply, that the bombing has to stop.”

Albanese backs Dutton challenger after Nazi tweet controversy

“I don’t know what your tweets are like more than a decade ago or what have you. But people are going and attacking Ali France as they did during the last campaign,” he said at a press conference in Western Australia last week.

Labor candidate Ali France has been backed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese despite the resurfacing of controversial social media posts. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

France, who has a disability, also suggested the Coalition was planning cuts to essential National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support to pay for AUKUS submarines.

“It would be a really good idea if people recognised that Ali France is someone who has shown courage, who has overcome adversity, is putting herself forward … for the third time to look after the local community that she loves, that she won’t leave in a time of crisis, that she will look after.”