One Nation's candidate for Melbourne, Matthew Collins, has resigned from the upcoming Victorian election race after a string of sexually explicit and offensive social media posts linked to him resurfaced publicly. The 35-year-old stepped down on Friday night after the posts, some dating as far back as 2019, emerged from an X (formerly Twitter) account connected to him.

What the Posts Contained

Among the most serious of the resurfaced posts were comments appearing to mock sexual consent. In response to a 2019 post encouraging men to seek consent before sex, Collins reportedly wrote: "I've never asked for consent to do anything. It's so funny that people like this exist."

In a separate exchange from 2021, when a post read "Retweet this if you love asking for consent", Collins reportedly replied: "Mateeee consent is cringe." In another post, responding to a question about what men attributed their success with women to, Collins wrote: "Big brain plus big pp."

The account linked to Collins has since been set to private. The resurfacing of these posts drew immediate scrutiny given Collins had publicly declared he was "ready to represent Melbourne" on One Nation's official website ahead of the state election.

It is not the first time Collins attracted controversy over his online activity. He had previously drawn criticism for posts containing anti-Muslim rhetoric, including calls to "decolonise" parts of the Muslim world. The pattern of offensive social media behaviour raises broader questions about candidate vetting, a challenge that has become increasingly prominent in Australian political life, as discussed in various accounts of recent years in Australia.

One Nation Accepts Resignation, Candidate Apologises

One Nation Victoria confirmed it had accepted Collins' resignation and distanced the party from his remarks. A party spokesperson stated the organisation had been made aware of the offensive comments and made clear its position.

"Our party does not condone these comments," the spokesperson said. "Mr Collins acknowledges his comments were offensive and unacceptable, and One Nation Victoria has accepted his resignation from his candidacy."

Collins himself issued a public apology following his exit from the race. "I am very sorry for the unacceptable comments that I made," he said. "They are not reflective of who I am as a person now and I deeply regret ever having made them."

Broader Questions Around Social Media and Political Candidates

The Collins resignation adds to a growing list of Australian political figures who have faced consequences for past social media conduct. As online histories become more scrutinised during election campaigns, parties across the spectrum are under pressure to more rigorously vet candidates before endorsement.

Debates around stronger social media accountability laws have been gaining momentum in Australia, with advocates and lawmakers pushing for greater oversight of online behaviour more broadly.

One Nation has not yet confirmed whether a replacement candidate will be put forward for the Melbourne seat ahead of the Victorian poll.