Aus lawmaker blasts news site for portraying him as ‘racist’

Finn said the report insinuated that he had racist views about the US President,’Herald Sun’ reported today.

In its article,the news site said the poll asked voters to chose from four different reasons why they did not like the US President,including because of skin colour and religion.

Finn said he did not agree with Obama’s policies – and voted as such – but his political views were “never ever” about race or religion.

The news site has “defamed me. They are saying because I don’t like Obama because of his colour and that is a monstrous lie,” he said,adding “I have contacted my solicitors and it is unfortunate that Crikey being a news site – if you can still call it that these days – has done this.”

Finn said he was not contacted by anyone from the news site before they wrote the article and defended his decision to vote in a poll that included possible racial and religious answers.

“I do think it is appropriate,because it is very important that we can say that we don’t like him because of the policies,not religion or colour,” he said.

“There is a lot of people,like (ex-US President) Jimmy Carter,who believe people don’t like Obama because he is black.”