Arch-conservative MP Bernie Finn has landed Australia's Liberal Party into another race row after comments about Muslims. Premier Ted Baillieu has refused to condemn the Liberal MPs who denounced Islam on Facebook.The Facebook comments followed a Herald Sun story earlier in the week
Finn posted that he failed to understand "how concerns about a religion that seems to sanction decapitation can be construed as racism".
During a rowdy question time, Labor attacked Finn's comments as racist "dog whistle" politics.
Finn responded, "No religion is specific to a skin tone or colour. Some people need to get a hobby as they have too much time on their hands if they were concerned with those comments."
Baillieu yesterday said multiculturalism is vital for Victoria but refused to respond to his colleague's comments as he had not seen or heard them. "I would encourage all Victorians to demonstrate tolerance and their commitment to multiculturalism," he said.
Earlier this year Federal Liberal leader Tony Abbott separated himself from outspoken South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi's denigration of Islam as a "totalitarian, political and religious" ideology.