FACT CHECK - Did Australian politician Adam Bandt Tweet in Support of Drug Dealers

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a tweet from Australian MP Adam Bandt in which he says drug dealers are not to blame for people’s drug-related problems.

There is no record of Bandt sending such a tweet. The tweet was confirmed by a spokesperson for Bandt.

Brandt, who hails from Melbourne, was first elected to the Australian House of Representatives in 2010 as a member of the Australian Greens. According to the Australian parliament’s website ., he has been reelected four times.

A Facebook image appears to be a screenshot from a Tweet he sent in which he said that people shouldn’t blame drug dealers for their drug-related problems. The alleged tweet reads: “Yearly reminders that drug dealers don’t have to be blamed for the problems of your loved ones with banned drugs.” It’s quite the contrary: many dealers act as elders in their communities, looking out for people who aren’t regulars and creating a safe community link HTML1. Why would Adam Bandt do this? The caption reads, “… (RELATED: Did Volodymyr Zelenskyy Endorse Drug Use In An Interview? )

This screenshot is digitally fabricated. The tweet cannot be found on Bandt’s verified Twitter account. Likewise, there are no credible news reports to suggest that this is something Bandt actually said. Check Your Fact could not find any statements about drug dealers on Brandt’s Twitter account.

This message was not written by Adam Bandt, and it does not reflect his views regarding drug reform,” Bandt’s spokesperson said to Check Your Fact in an email.

The spokesperson also included a link to the Australian Greens party policy on drug use, which states an intent to “Legalise, tax and regulate cannabis to turn people away from the black market, because prohibition causes more harm than good.” It makes no mention of the post’s claim, however.