Labor's candidate in the seat of Melbourne has quit over his "awful" social media posts about rape and women.
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Luke Creasey told the party on Friday he had withdrawn his candidacy after Opposition Leader Bill Shorten earlier attempted to ride out the storm.
But after Mr Shorten asked party officials for more information on Mr Creasey, the candidate pulled the pin.
"Today, I have called the ALP national secretary and advised that I will be withdrawing as Labor's candidate," Mr Creasey said in a statement.
"While I made those awful comments many years ago and they in no way reflect the views I hold today, I understand, especially as a member of the LGBTIQ community, that we need to be careful about what we share or like on social media."
The social media posts from seven and eight years ago included rape jokes and offensive remarks about women.
It emerged on Friday morning he had joked in 2012 about watching a female friend have sex with multiple people and wanting somebody to "roughly take her virginity".
Mr Shorten had described Mr Creasey's remarks as "deeply offensive, shocking and stupid" but did not take action against him, saying he had apologised.
"He has also come forward and said he was 22 at the time, seven years ago," the opposition leader told reporters before Mr Creasey quit.
"He has apologised deeply and he certainly doesn't hold those views now."
Mr Creasey said it was an important lesson for young people that "your social media footprint will follow you".
"I stood for Labor because we are a progressive party that believes in making our society fairer and better for everyone from pensioners to working people. It is clear the right thing for me to do is stand down," he said.
Victorian Labor's factions were divided over whether to disendorse him.
Labor right powerbroker Stephen Conroy said the candidate's comments were "moronic and distasteful" and he was uncomfortable with him continuing in the role.
Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews, who hails from the left faction, had accepted factional colleague Mr Creasey's apology as "sincere".
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Labor candidate's age was no defence or excuse.
"He may well be contrite but the issue is not whether he's contrite, it is whether that's a standard that Bill Shorten is prepared to accept," Mr Morrison told reporters.
But Mr Morrison also lost a candidate on Friday when Jessica Whelan, running for the Tasmanian seat of Lyons, quit over anti-Islamic social media posts.
Australian Associated Press
