The Australian Labor Party has dismissed Rhys Muldoon, a former presenter on the children’s television program Play School, from his role as a staffer for Tasmanian Senator Richard Dowling. The decision followed the resurfacing of several social media posts made by Muldoon in 2022. In these posts, Muldoon used sexually explicit and derogatory language to describe Peta Credlin, a News24 host and former chief of staff to Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

While the Labor Party officially characterized the comments as "abhorrent," the specific nature of the posts was reported with varying levels of detail. The Guardian explicitly quoted the offensive remarks, noting that Muldoon had used graphic imagery to attack Credlin’s political identity and gender. The Sydney Morning Herald reported the firing but did not include the specific text of the posts in its initial coverage, focusing instead on the fact that the tweets had resurfaced and prompted immediate disciplinary action.

Muldoon, who had transitioned into political staff work after his television career, was stood down on Tuesday following reports that originated from news.com.au. Neither the Labor Party nor Senator Dowling’s office has provided further comment on the internal process leading to the termination, beyond confirming that the staffer is no longer employed.