William Yang, a prominent Young Labor activist and employee of the Australian Transport Workers Union (TWU), has been suspended following the promotion of an event that marked the anniversary of the death of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk. Kirk, 31, was fatally shot in Utah in September of the previous year.
A parody social media account, 'Australian Child Labor,' linked to Yang, posted an invitation for 'celebration drinks' on the anniversary of Kirk's death. The post, which has since been deleted, featured an AI-generated image of Kirk with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Yang, identified as the owner of the account, has also previously posted content that appeared to mock the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
The TWU confirmed Yang's suspension, stating that the promoted event was "repugnant" and that the employee would not be attending. Yang had previously shared a photograph with Prime Minister Albanese in 2022 and attended the 50th Labor Federal Conference.
The incident comes as Communications Minister Anika Wells recently called for stronger protections for young Australians against harmful online content. Wells stated on Monday during Question Time that the government aims to "protect and improve the lives and wellbeing of young people, and the social media ban is just the starting point."
Yang's past comments have drawn criticism and appear to conflict with established Labor Party positions. His social media posts mocking the Tiananmen Square massacre stand in contrast to the stance of senior Labor figures, including Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who has repeatedly condemned the event and advocated for freedoms in China.