Benjamin Britton has been disendorsed as the Liberal candidate for the NSW seat of Whitlam ahead of the May 3 federal election, following remarks deemed “inconsistent with the party’s position.”
Before his preselection in December, Britton stirred controversy by suggesting that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) should “remove females from combat corps” to “fix” the military. He argued that physical demands were detrimental to women, stating, “Their hips are being destroyed because they can’t cope with the carrying of the heavy loads and the heavy impacts that’s required for doing combat-related jobs.”
Further fueling the backlash, Britton expressed that sacrificing women in war was unnecessary, questioning, “Why would you want to send your beautiful women? Your females, the ones that are the backbone of your society.” He also attributed perceived weaknesses in Australia’s defence to “diversity and equity quotas, and these woke Marxist ideologies.”
His comments, shared across various podcasts, gained significant media attention last week. In response, a spokesperson for the Liberal Party announced that Nathaniel Smith would be endorsed as the new candidate for Whitlam in the Illawarra region.
“This follows a decision to disendorse Benjamin Britton over views expressed which were not previously disclosed and are inconsistent with the party’s position,” the spokesperson stated.
Smith, who previously served as the NSW Liberal MP for Wollondilly from 2019 to 2023, is currently the CEO of the Master Plumbers Association of NSW, stepping into a role now marked by controversy and the ongoing debate over gender roles in the military.
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