Aussie political candidate resigns after being linked to radical Islamic group

An Australian Labor party candidate has resigned from running in this year's federal election after it was revealed he had links to radical Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Christian Kunde, running for the seat of Farrer in New South Wales, has stood down from the election race after a report in News Corp publications linked him to Uthman Badar, the spokesperson for the outspoken extremist group.

Kunde told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio on Monday that stepping out of the race was the best thing for his party.

"It was my choice to step aside," he said.

"I think that it's important that I did that so that the conversation won't get bogged down in this particular matter."

Following the news of Kunde's association with Badar, Labor Senator Penny Wong said Kunde's resignation was "immediately accepted", while party leader Bill Shorten was understood to be "furious" with the drama just two weeks from an election.

"I think Australians can see very clearly what Labor's position is when it comes to homophobia," Wong said on Monday.

Despite the links to Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is associated with the goals of implementing sharia law and unifying as a singular caliphate, Kunde denied that he was a member of the organization, and rubbished claims he compared homosexuality with incest during a recent university lecture.

"I think that homosexual people should be entitled to all the same opportunities that heterosexual people are," Kunde said.

"It's one of the great ironies that I'm apparently linked to a group that would excommunicate me merely for being a member of a political party, let alone standing for Parliament in a democratic process."

Kunde was set to compete with the coalition's Sussan Ley, who is currently in cabinet as the health minister. Endit