Glaring reason Anthony Albanese has been accused of ‘double standards’ after warning US billionaire Elon Musk not to meddle in Australian politics

Anthony Albanese has been accused of double standards after warning US billionaire Elon Musk to stay out of Australian politics ahead of the federal election. 

The slap down of the world’s richest person came four months after Mr Musk opened up a war of words by calling the Labor government ‘fascists’.

Since then, the businessman donated $447million to Donald Trump’s US presidential election campaign and backed far-right political parties in the UK and Germany.

When asked about the Tesla and SpaceX owner’s interventions, Mr Albanese said: ‘We have foreign interference laws in this country and Australian elections are a matter for Australians.’ 

He added that he had ‘no intention of being a commentator on what people overseas want to engage in. 

‘People will make their own judgments and have their own views about that.’

Mr Albanese’s dig at Mr Musk backfired on social media platform X with Aussies pointing out he used a former US NBA star to promote the Indigenous Voice to Parliament two years ago.

‘During the Voice era he had Shaquille O’Neal actively promoting the Yes campaign. Double standards?’ one wrote.

Anthony Albanese has been accused of double standards after warning US billionaire Elon Musk to stay out of Australian politics ahead of the federal election

Another added: ‘Let us not forget his deceitful behaviour regarding ‘The Voice’ referendum! Time to Step down!’

O’Neal had met with Mr Albanese in August 2022 before the Voice was shot down when 60 per cent of Aussies voted against the referendum in October 2023.

The US star’s visit drew backlash after it emerged he was a gambling ambassador while shadow minister for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Nampijinpa Price questioned why a ‘black American’ was called on to help ‘black Australians’.

‘Aboriginal Australians historically have more in common with Native Americans than African Americans,’ she said in a Facebook post at the time.

‘Such shallowness with no substance when we’re faced with such serious issues.’

Mr Albanese has yet to call the date of the next election – however it is widely speculated it will be held on April 12. 

Last September, Mr Musk called Australia’s government ‘fascists’ over proposed legislation to fine social media companies for failing to prevent the spread of misinformation online.

That could lead to the platforms paying up to five per cent of their global revenue for enabling misinformation on their sites. 

Mr Musk (pictured) donated $447million to Donald Trump's US presidential election campaign

Mr Musk (pictured) donated $447million to Donald Trump’s US presidential election campaign

Mr Musk then doubled down and said 'Far left fascists love censorship' (pictured)

Mr Musk then doubled down and said ‘Far left fascists love censorship’ (pictured) 

Mr Musk, who sees himself as a protector of free speech, responded to a post by an X user about the misinformation law with one word: ‘Fascists’.

Mr Albanese responded at the time by saying social media companies have a social responsibility.

‘If Mr Musk doesn’t understand that, that says more about him than it does about my government,’ he said.

But the South Africa-born billionaire then doubled down on his comments in another post, captioned: ‘Far left fascists love censorship’. 

Mr Musk had also previously clashed with the Australian government over requests for X to remove clips of a Sydney bishop allegedly being stabbed. 

Last April Australia’s eSafety commissioner ordered X to remove the graphic content and started court proceedings, but the case was dropped in June. 

Laws passed by the Coalition government under Malcolm Turnbull in 2018 could be used against Mr Musk if he tried to financially back an Australian political party. 

Part of the legislation includes a ban on donations from non-Australians to political parties. But X has an Australian subsidiary, possibly allowing a loophole to the law. 

As well as his massive donations to Mr Trump’s election campaign, Mr Musk has also regularly tweeted about immigration, identity politics, crime and other issues.

He reportedly promised the UK’s Reform party $157million, but this now seems to be on hold after Mr Musk fell out with Reform’s founder and leader, Nigel Farage. 

In Germany, Mr Musk has endorsed the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party, which includes members accused of holding Nazi ideologies.

In November, the X owner wrote that Australia’s law banning under-16s from using social media ‘Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians.’ 

Both major parties backed the legislation, though, and Mr Musk has not yet said which party he would back in the federal election due by May.  

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