Frydenberg tweeter has anti-Semitic form

THE AJN can reveal that the financial planner at the centre of a storm of criticism for anti-Semitic tweets about Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg this week has previous form in the area.

In March, following a fire which destroyed a 10-metre model dinosaur at Clive Palmer’s resort in Coolum, James Howarth tweeted “Jewish stocktake?”, an age-old slur which suggests a business has been purposefully destroyed by its owner to claim the insurance.

Three months on, apparently rankled by proposed changes to life insurance regulations which would see agents’ commissions reduced, Howarth turned his ire on Frydenberg with a tirade of anti-Semitic abuse.

On Sunday and Monday, Howarth, principal of consultancy Retirement Wealth Advisers, tweeted: “Get your Josh Frydenberg ‘Central Planning Jew’ punching bag AB. I ordered 5000 in on the next Cargo flight out of ShenZhen.”

He also tweeted: “Slap stick comedy Jew Frydenberg stars in Deregulating Regulator Regulating” and “‘The F— Frydenberg’ movement is picking up steam. Free Markets or Central Planning Jews.”

The Twitter attacks resulted in Libertas Financial Planning, a firm which licensed Howarth’s services, terminating his authorised representative status, with director Mark Euvard describing Howarth’s conduct as “inappropriate and unacceptable”.

The Financial Services Institute of Australasia, of which Howarth is a fellow, and the Association of Financial Advisers both strongly condemned the insults.

After his abusive comments were widely condemned, Howarth reportedly told Brisbane’s Courier Mail his words were “inadvertently taken as anti-Semitism … I am honestly very sorry if anyone in the Jewish community was offended.”

However, Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Robert Goot called Howarth’s comments “disgraceful and totally unacceptable”.

“They reflect adversely on Howarth and not the minister. His statements do not address the government’s policy with which he is apparently concerned, but crudely attack the minister in a very nasty case of playing the man not the ball.”

Condemning Howarth for peddling “in grossly bigoted and vulgar stereotypes that are deeply infected with anti-Semitism”, B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dr Dvir Abramovich said “his so-called ‘apology’ is insufficient and not satisfactory given his warped and prejudiced world view. We have to send out a clear message that racism will not be tolerated in this country, and we call on Mr Howarth to meet with representatives from the Jewish community so he can understand the seriousness and the danger of his comments.”

Labelling Howarth’s tweets as ­“disgraceful” and stating, “there is no place for racism in Australian society,” Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Dr Colin Rubenstein commended Libertas Financial Planning for terminating Howarth’s status. “We are also pleased that the Financial Services Institute of Australia has launched an investigation.”

Howarth’s “belated words of apology, so graciously accepted by Mr Frydenberg, beggar belief that he did not realise that a stream of anti-Jewish abuse would give offence”, said Rubenstein.

Frydenberg declined to comment generally on the attacks, but told The Australian he had blocked Howarth on Twitter after receiving the abuse. “This nasty, personal and derogatory language is not becoming of a financial adviser, let alone anyone else, and is completely over the top,” he said.

PETER KOHN