Dumped Liberal candidate turns on 'traitorous factions' within his party as he warns Peter Dutton they are hellbent on one purpose
- Benjamin Britton was dropped by the Liberals
- He claimed the party is full of 'traitors'
- READ MORE: Two high-profile Liberals blamed for Peter Dutton's WFH fail
A controversial ex-Liberal candidate has claimed 'traitors' in the party are plotting to 'stab' leader Peter Dutton in the back.
Mr Dutton announced Benjamin Britton would no longer be the party's endorsed candidate for the NSW seat of Whitlam on Sunday after comments he made regarding women in the military resurfaced.
Mr Britton, who served Australia as a paratrooper in East Timor, in August called for the Australian Defence Force to 'remove females from combat corps' in order to 'fix' the military.
'Their hips are being destroyed because they can't cope with the carrying of the heavy loads and the heavy impacts that's required for doing combat-related jobs,' he said.
'Why would you want to send your beautiful women? Your females, the ones that are the backbone of your society. Your society only exists because of women.
'Why would you want to sacrifice them in war, on the altar?'
Mr Britton also blamed 'diversity and equity quotas, Marxist ideology and woke ideologies' for weakening the ADF.
About 20 per cent of Australia's military personnel are women.
Benjamin Britton (pictured) was dropped as the Liberals' endorsed candidate for the NSW seat of Whitlam
However, the former candidate fronted 2GB on Tuesday to blame infighting within the Liberal Party for his expulsion - rather than the public's adverse reaction to his statements.
'It's a witch hunt because they didn't want me there,' Mr Britton said.
'It's the factions within the party that didn't want me there. It's because I wouldn't sign up to a faction; I wouldn't be controlled.
'My position is the same as Andrew Hastie, the Shadow Minister for Defence, and the great Jim Molan, that women should not serve specifically in combat roles, specifically in the Army itself,' he claimed.
Although the party publicly dumped Mr Britton because his views were not in line with its policies, he was adamant his dismissal is actually part of a larger scheme.
'The (Liberal Party) left faction works in hand in glove with members of the right faction, who are traitors, to stab Peter Dutton in the back to ensure he doesn't get elected as the prime minister, so they can roll him as leader,' he said.
'That's what's happening.'
The former Liberal candidate also doubled-down on his belief that women should not be in combat roles.
Peter Dutton (pictured) dropped Mr Britton as his controversial statements did not align with his party's policies
'You said that I don't want women in the ADF,' Mr Britton said.
'The opposite is true. I serve with great women in the ADF. I serve with extraordinary women.
'My position ... is that women should not serve, specifically, in combat roles.'
The Liberals on Sunday removed Mr Britton's profile from its website and announced it would no longer back him in the upcoming election.
'This follows a decision to disendorse Benjamin Britton over views expressed which were not previously disclosed and are inconsistent with the party's position,' a statement read.
The party replaced him as the Liberal candidate for the seat of Whitlam - which covers the southern Illawarra and NSW Southern Highlands - with former NSW state MP Nathaniel Smith.
Whitlam is currently held by retiring Labor MP Stephen Jones.
Mr Britton (pictured with Mr Dutton) served Australia as a paratrooper in East Timor
Mr Dutton had previously posed for a photo with Mr Britton before he was disendorsed.
'Ben's working hard in his community and standing up for local families and small businesses, drawing on his dedication as a veteran and his leadership in the defence industry,' the caption to the photo read.
'This area has been ignored by a local Labor member who is asleep at the wheel, but with our positive plans and an outstanding candidate like Ben, we'll get this region and our country back on track.'
Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Mr Dutton shares Mr Britton's views on women in the ADF.
Mr Britton previously had an unsuccessful campaign with the United Australia Party for the 2022 federal election.
He has faced mounting criticism for his divisive views, including that exposure to pornography is 'pushing' young men into 'transgender desires'.
'This is why we see extreme, unrealistic sexual practices and desires in the community (that) have risen massively over the last, say, 40 years, as a direct result of pornography,' he said.
