Australian Labor Party removes controversial meme after backlash

The Australian Labor Party (ALP) recently removed a social media post that featured a meme referencing a racist slogan. The post aimed to promote Medicare but drew criticism for echoing an Islamophobic t-shirt slogan. The meme showed a man in a t-shirt that said, "This is Australia. We eat meat, we drink beer and we love Medicare." This closely resembles a more offensive version that includes a racial slur against non-English speakers. The original shirt has been associated with white supremacists in Australia for years. A report from Museums Victoria describes this type of slogan as racist, attempting to define Australian identity in an exclusionary way. The organization has highlighted that such slogans often target Muslims and others who do not fit a narrow view of Australian culture. In response to the backlash, a Labor spokesperson said the party's intention was to communicate support for Medicare. They admitted that the post "missed the mark" and was subsequently deleted. Before its removal, the post received several likes from Labor MPs and candidates, who also shared it on their accounts. This incident is not the first time the Labor Party has faced accusations of racism in its campaigns.