An Instagram post by the Australian Labor Party has raised eyebrows, as it appeared to mimic white nationalist rhetoric, prompting the question of whether their account was hacked. The post, which has since been removed, showed a white man wearing a T-shirt with a map of Australia and the text, “CALLING ALL AUSSIE PATRIOTS NOW IS THE TIME TO PROTECT OUR MEDICARE.” The accompanying TikTok also referenced this message with a dance to Men at Work’s song, Down Under, before it too was deleted.
The inspiration for the T-shirt is strikingly reminiscent of historical nationalist and racist memorabilia, such as a navy blue T-shirt held by Museums Victoria, which was among a collection of shirts sold in 2009 and symbolized xenophobic views.
Commenters on Instagram expressed their disbelief over the post. Some speculated that the account had been hacked by the far right, while others found the move to invoke toxic nationalistic sentiments to win votes questionable.
A spokesperson for the Labor Party admitted that the post failed to convey their intended message that Australians value Medicare and vowed to protect it from potential cuts, while also acknowledging that the post missed its mark and was therefore removed.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/24/labor-medicare-t-shirt-instagram-post-alleged-racist-meme-links-ntwnfb
