A prominent Australian Teal MP has drawn widespread online criticism after she was seen to have liked an Instagram post that commented on the fatal shooting of US conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The Instagram post, shared by Cheek Media co-founder and political aspirant Hannah Ferguson, included a series of questions and answers addressing Kirk's death and stated, according to screenshots circulated online, that "violence is sometimes necessary." The post included other provocative lines and a question asking whether the shooter had "empowered the violence that ended his life."
The post was liked on Thursday by Zali Steggall, the member for Warringah, according to reporting. The like was highlighted on social media the same day Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a close associate of former US president Donald Trump, was shot on a college campus in Utah and later died in hospital. Authorities in Utah have taken 22‑year‑old Tyler Robinson into custody in connection with the shooting.
Steggall has not publicly commented specifically on why she liked the post. She told Sky News on Friday that it was important to be respectful at this time and place around the world and warned against inflammatory language, saying, "I think in these political times, it's really dangerous to use... inflammatory language." The Australian outlet that first reported the like said it had sought comment from Steggall and her media team.
The like prompted a stream of hostile responses from online users, with several calling for her to resign or be removed from office. "What a disgrace you are Zali Steggall. I wonder if you would still have that opinion if it was your family member," one commenter wrote on social media. Others said they no longer felt safe with her in parliament or suggested her views would change if violence were directed at her.
Ferguson, who has announced plans to run for the Australian Senate, posted further material on social platforms after Kirk's death in which she wrote that some people might argue against supporting the murder of political opponents but that "support and condemnation are not the only two choices available," and added, "Charlie Kirk was killed today in an act of gun violence his views permitted. In the world I will continue to advocate for, he'd still be alive."
Steggall is a former Winter Olympic athlete who defeated former prime minister Tony Abbott for the Warringah seat six years ago and is serving her third term in federal parliament. The incident has surfaced amid heightened sensitivities about political rhetoric and violence internationally, following a series of high‑profile attacks and heated public discourse in multiple countries.
Australian politicians from across the spectrum have in recent years faced scrutiny over their social media behaviour, and incidents involving comments or engagements with contentious posts have at times prompted formal complaints or calls for censure. The reporting that identified Steggall's like attributed the information to the social media posts and screenshots circulated after the shooting; authorities in Utah continue to investigate the circumstances of Kirk's killing and the role of the suspect in custody.
The MP's office and national political parties had not issued formal statements about the social media like as of Saturday morning, and Australian media outlets continued to seek clarification from Steggall's team.