A member of the Queensland Liberal National Party has been expelled after he called Barack Obama a 'monkey' on Twitter during the US President's interview on Australian TV.
The tweets, from an account belonging to Griffith University medical student Nick Sowden, were posted during ABC TV's 7.30 Report with Kerry O'Brien on Thursday evening.
"I'm not sure why they paid kerry to fly to america (sic), if they wanted an interview with a monkey surely a ferry to Taronga would have sufficed," one tweet said, referring to Sydney's Taronga Zoo.
"If I wanted to see a monkey on TV I'd watch Wildlife Rescue," said another.
Messages 'a political joke'
Mr Sowden says he's been notified of his expulsion via email, following a snap meeting of the LNP's executive.
LNP state director Michael O'Dwyer says the party doesn't tolerate comments such as those posted by Mr Sowden.
"I'm disappointed when anybody from the LNP makes comments that put the party into disrepute and are of such a personal nature," Mr O'Dwyer said.
But the Queensland student insists he is not a racist person, and that the comments were meant as a political joke.
