Labor sacks former Play School star after ‘abhorrent tweets’ resurface

A Labor senator has sacked a former Play School star just a few months into his role as a political staffer after old tweets resurfaced in which he used the N-word and likened a Liberal frontbencher to a notorious Nazi collaborator.

In one social media post, from 2014, actor Rhys Muldoon called a critic a “n----- jew f-g dog smoking liberal voter” in a debate over freedom of speech, insisting he was “protected” under Commonwealth laws.

In another post, this time from around three years ago, Muldoon suggested Indigenous Northern Territory senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was a “Quisling” for her No stance during the Voice to parliament referendum. Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian politician who collaborated with Nazi Germany during the occupation. He was later executed for high treason.

Muldoon also once wrote that Liberals think of News24 presenter and former chief of staff to Tony Abbott, Peta Credlin, as wearing “a strap on, pounding away at their sorry a----”. The comments were first revealed by news.com.au journalist Samantha Maiden.

Muldoon, whose career kicked off in the 1990s, has starred in a wide array of children’s and adult TV programs including The Secret Life of Us, Rake , Lockie Leonard , House Husbands and The Genie from Down Under .

But he is no stranger to politics, having co-authored a children’s book with former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd in 2010 called Jasper and Abby and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle. His essay on Rudd’s ousting was also included in the anthology The Best Australian Essays 2012 . And he has appeared as a panelist on the ABC’s political commentary program The Drum .

Earlier this month, Politico revealed that Muldoon had scored in July a “surprise new gig” advising first-term Tasmanian Labor senator Richard Dowling.

“He understands politics instinctively, writes brilliantly, thinks differently to me and isn’t afraid to say it,” Dowling told Politico at the time. “That’s exactly why I wanted to work with him.”

On Tuesday, Dowling described the social media posts as abhorrent and unacceptable.

“After being alerted to abhorrent tweets from my staffer, I’ve decided to not continue with his casual contract,” the senator said in a statement.

“Everyone in public life has a responsibility to do better when it comes to political discourse. The words used were unacceptable at any time.”

Price, who on Monday delivered a blistering rebuke of Pauline Hanson over comments she made about Indigenous Australians, said the Labor advisor’s remarks were repulsive.

“Mr Muldoon has no place working for the Australian government,” the Liberal frontbencher said in a statement.

“The prime minister embarrassed us all with his appallingly sexist remarks about the prime minister of Japan. Now, he’s embarrassed us all again by handing his appallingly sexist mate a plum gig in his government.