# One Nation Candidate Resigns Following Offensive Social Media Disclosures Matthew Collins withdraws from Melbourne race after controversial past tweets surface online. - **Source:** [Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News](https://www.smh.com.au/rss/feed.xml) - **Published:** 2026-10-31 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/0c9ed717-eb80-4e8c-bce0-501181c14e38 ## Candidate Withdrawal in Melbourne Matthew Collins, the One Nation candidate for the Greens-held seat of Melbourne, officially resigned his candidacy on Friday. This decision followed the public exposure of a series of highly sexualized and offensive social media posts. The party confirmed they were made aware of these comments and subsequently accepted his immediate resignation. ## Nature of Offensive Content The controversy centers on tweets where Collins claimed he never asked women for sexual consent, suggesting it was implied by actions. Other posts included lewd jokes about female body parts and references to his sexual activities during the pandemic. These posts were documented by this masthead before he deactivated his account. ## Past Rhetoric and Ideology Beyond sexualized comments, Collins had a history of promoting anti-Muslim rhetoric and various COVID-19 conspiracy theories online. His past digital footprint included calls to decolonize parts of the Muslim world and references to historical Christian military campaigns. These statements surfaced shortly after his selection as a candidate for the party. ## Public Apology and Stance In a statement provided to this masthead, the 35-year-old sales professional apologized for his past comments, describing them as unacceptable. Collins stated that these remarks do not reflect his current character and expressed deep regret for having made them. He had initially campaigned on platforms regarding community safety and living costs. ## One Nation Party Response A spokesperson for One Nation stated that the party does not condone the offensive comments posted by Collins. The party acted quickly to address the situation once the content was brought to their attention. The resignation marks a significant disruption for the party's campaign efforts in the specific Victorian electoral seat. ## Political Context and Polling The Resolve Political Monitor indicates that One Nation is polling at a 23 percent primary vote. This suggests the party is positioned to have a significant presence in the upcoming Victorian parliament for the first time. The resignation of a candidate in a key seat could impact these projected electoral outcomes. ## Digital Footprint Risks This incident highlights the recurring challenge political organizations face regarding the historical social media activity of their candidates. vetting processes often struggle to capture deleted or archived content that surfaces during active campaigns. Parties are increasingly forced to manage reputational damage when past online behavior contradicts their current public platform. ## Implications for Future Campaigns The resignation underscores the necessity for rigorous candidate vetting in the digital age. As parties aim for electoral growth, the scrutiny of past online statements remains a critical vulnerability. Moving forward, political entities will likely intensify background checks on social media history to prevent similar controversies from derailing their legislative ambitions. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.smh.com.au/politics/victoria/one-nation-candidate-for-melbourne-resigns-over-offensive-tweets-20261031-p61aab.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._