Labor is accusing the Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs of fear-mongering after he described Asian wildlife markets as "disgusting".
On Sunday, Jason Wood shared a report on Asian food markets with a comment blaming them for the deadly coronavirus which has spread from China throughout the world.
“Apart from being disgusting, Asian wildlife markets will lead to pandemics in the future," Mr Wood posted on Facebook.
"When will they learn!?” he added.
Labor's spokesperson on multicultural affairs Affairs Andrew Giles criticised Mr Wood, saying he should be working to “unite Australians”.
Assistant Minister Jason Wood's Facebook post. Source: Facebook
“Rather than engaging in shameless click baiting and fear-mongering, why isn’t he keeping people informed and working to unite Australians?” Mr Giles wrote on Facebook.
Experts are split as to what exactly caused the initial coronavirus outbreak with some suggesting that wild bats or pangolins may have been the source.
Many of the initial sufferers of the virus were reported to have worked in live-animal markets in Wuhan in China which remains in lockdown.
Public health fears in Australia have lead to an increase in reports of racism targeting Asian Australians with online and verbal attacks on public transport and other public places.
The Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne last week reported patients raising concerns about Asian-Australian medical staff treating their children.
It’s not the first time the Liberal MP from Melbourne has been accused of making racist comments on social media.
In April last year, Mr Wood wrote on Facebook that the "behaviour being displayed by African youth gangs" was "sickening and disgusting".
In February the same year the member for La Trobe shared an article describing a violent burglary alongside the caption: "No African gangs? I feel very sorry for the victim and the young children ... if these thugs are foreign-born, they should be deported."
Mr Wood defended the comments and denied race-baiting, which came at the time of sustained media coverage of the so-called “African gangs crisis” in Melbourne.
