DAVID Paull has stood down as the Greens candidate for Parkes after the revelation of comments about the Port Arthur massacre he'd posted on Facebook. It comes after a report that revealed the candidate posted comments on Facebook in which he posited Martin Bryant didn't actually murder 35 people at Port Arthur in 1996. His comment on a Port Arthur conspiracy theory page said the massacre looked "like an operation designed for psychological manipulation of the general population". "There is only one sure thing in my mind - Bryant didn't do it and so a great crime on the Australian people was committed," he wrote. Read more: The Greens announced Mr Paull had stood down as their candidate on Tuesday, and would take down all campaign material in his name. The party said the former Parkes candidate had bowed out to avoid detracting from the party's work. "David absolutely rejects the views he is quoted as supporting, but has stood down so that he does not become a distraction from the important issues The Greens are focused on," a spokesman for The Greens said. Mr Paull said on Tuesday he did not believe that Port Arthur was a conspiracy, nor did he have any doubt Martin Bryant was guilty of the massacre. "I support The Greens policies on gun control 100 per cent; I was only ever interested in that Facebook group to investigate the views of Port Arthur conspiracy theorists," he said. "I made those comments after an admin asked new members to justify their presence in the group. "I am incredibly embarrassed that these posts have become public and I apologise for misrepresenting myself in this way."
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Federal election: Greens candidate for Parkes stands down amid controversy
CONTROVERSY: David Paull has stood down as the Greens candidate in this weekend's election. Photo: Supplied
DAVID Paull has stood down as the Greens candidate for Parkes after the revelation of comments about the Port Arthur massacre he'd posted on Facebook.
It comes after a report that revealed the candidate posted comments on Facebook in which he posited Martin Bryant didn't actually murder 35 people at Port Arthur in 1996.
His comment on a Port Arthur conspiracy theory page said the massacre looked "like an operation designed for psychological manipulation of the general population".
"There is only one sure thing in my mind - Bryant didn't do it and so a great crime on the Australian people was committed," he wrote.
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The Greens announced Mr Paull had stood down as their candidate on Tuesday, and would take down all campaign material in his name.
The party said the former Parkes candidate had bowed out to avoid detracting from the party's work.
"David absolutely rejects the views he is quoted as supporting, but has stood down so that he does not become a distraction from the important issues The Greens are focused on," a spokesman for The Greens said.
Mr Paull said on Tuesday he did not believe that Port Arthur was a conspiracy, nor did he have any doubt Martin Bryant was guilty of the massacre.
"I support The Greens policies on gun control 100 per cent; I was only ever interested in that Facebook group to investigate the views of Port Arthur conspiracy theorists," he said.
"I made those comments after an admin asked new members to justify their presence in the group.
"I am incredibly embarrassed that these posts have become public and I apologise for misrepresenting myself in this way."
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