Labor's candidate for the West Australian state seat of Darling Range has resigned just days after being endorsed and having her credibility questioned.
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The seat was vacated by Labor-turned-independent Barry Urban, who quit before he could be expelled from parliament for repeatedly lying about his education and work history.
So it was a case of deja vu when questions were raised about Colleen Yates' LinkedIn profile, which has been deleted in line with the party's policy, soon after she was endorsed by Labor on Monday night.
Ms Yates listed three US tertiary institutions and a University of WA Masters of Business Administration on the profile.
But it turns out the only qualification she completed was the prerequisite UWA course, a Graduate Certificate in Business.
"If I've learnt anything over the last few days, it is that the intense scrutiny that comes with politics just isn't for me," Ms Yates said in a statement on Friday.
"How I portrayed myself on my LinkedIn account is, in my opinion, similar to how thousands of people would input their data on the online service.
"However, these minor mistakes will now haunt me for the rest of my life."
Mr Urban also said when he quit: "This ... will haunt me for the rest of my life".
Premier Mark McGowan said the party would now search for another candidate and he respected Ms Yates' decision.
"Politics is tough," he tweeted.
Opposition spokesman Tony Krsticevic said Labor's vetting process had again failed.
"They defend people until they are totally indefensible," he said.
"It's an absolute disgrace.
"The Labor party have lost all credibility when it comes to Darling Range."
Labor this week accused the Liberal Darling Range candidate Alyssa Hayden, who was an upper house MP during the Barnett government's two terms, of exaggerating her role working for Opposition Leader Mike Nahan on her LinkedIn page, which is still online.
Ms Yates' controversy has overshadowed Labor's by-election campaigning for the federal seats of Perth and Fremantle, which the Liberals are not bothering to contest.
The party's Perth candidate Patrick Possum Gorman, who was previously state secretary, refused to comment on Ms Yates before she quit on Friday but took aim at Mr Urban saying he was "a serial liar" and "a unique case".
Mr Urban won the traditionally Liberal-held seat with a 5.8 per cent margin in Labor's thumping state election victory last year.
Australian Associated Press
