New Liberal Senator Jim Molan has shared videos from the same anti-Muslim group that landed US President Donald Trump in hot water just months ago.
Mr Molan shared two clips from UK far-right group Britain First to his Facebook page in March, both allegedly depicting Muslim people beating up a girl in Holland and rushing at a police car in France.
A spokesperson for the NSW Senator defended the posts to The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday, and said the videos were posted to ‘generate debate’.
‘The sharing of any post does not indicate endorsement,’ he said.
NSW Liberal Senator Jim Molan has landed himself in hot water after it was revealed he shared videos originating from UK far right group Britain First early last year
Pictured: One of two videos claiming to show anti-Muslim content which were shared to Jim Molan’s public Facebook page
Mr Molan did not engage in any debate in the comment section of this video, shared on March 24 last year, despite a spokesman for the Senator claiming the videos were intended to ‘generate debate’
Under one video, titled ‘Muslim thugs beat girl in Holland’, a commenter wrote: ‘Charming. And we’re meant to be tolerant, accepting and welcoming of this ‘breed’ in our country’.
‘Unbelievable,’ Mr Molan responded.
The video is believed to be from an unrelated incident near Rotterdam, south of Amsterdam. In its initial posting, Snopes reported no reference is made to religion, and initial news reports referenced a scooter collision.
Mr Molan, who is the father of NRL Footy Show host Erin Molan, did not interact with anyone or take place in any debate on the other video, titled ‘French police enter Muslim no go area’.
US President Donald Trump found himself in trouble after he retweeted three similar clips from Britain First which claimed to show ‘anti-Muslim’ material in November.
The videos were initially posted by British nationalist Jayda Fransen, who has been convicted of hate crimes, and Theresa May publicly condemned the President, calling his actions ‘wrong’.
The new Senator is the father of NRL Footy Show host Erin Molan (right)
Little more than a week ago, Trump apologised for sharing the clips with his 47 million Twitter followers.
He claimed not to know anything about the radical group at the time and described himself as ‘the least racist person that anybody’s going to meet’.
Jim Molan was declared elected to the NSW Senate on December 22, after former Senator Fiona Nash was disqualified from her seat in the Parliamentary citizenship scandal.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s office and Jim Molan for further comment.
US President Donald Trump has now publicly apologised for retweeting similar videos which were initially posted online by far-right group Britain First