South Australian opposition leader Steven Marshall has resisted calls to disendorse Liberal candidate Anthony Antoniadis after Facebook posts emerged of the would be parliamentarian mocking his own prospective constituents.

Antoniadis is the Liberal candidate for the Adelaide seat of Ramsay, but his political prospects have suffered a setback after the Adelaide Advertiser reported a series of derogatory Facebook posts from Antoniadis’ account that appeared to mock the personal hygiene and employment status of people in his own prospective electorate.

“If only the people standing infront of centrelink at 8am would wake up early enough to get a job ... perhaps they wouldnt be there in the first place!!!!’’

“mmmm, yum!!! I love it when I can smell customers from 10 meters away!!!! #5108 #lynx #niveaformen #isle 14 #woolworths’’.

“Welcome to SALISBURY: A mother speaking to her 6 year-old son ... ‘Get out of my f*@%ing way and sit down. I want to play Keno’.’’

5108 is the postcode of Salisbury, where Antoniadis also runs a news agency.

Marshall said that Antoniadis had apologised and knew the comments were foolish, but would not be drawn on whether the Liberal party should disendorse him.

“The comments were stupid, the comments were offensive,” he told ABC Radio.

“He has been counselled and he is very remorseful.”

South Australian premier Jay Weatherill said the posts showed “utter contempt” for Salisbury residents, and called on the Liberal party to disendorse Antoniadis.

“Until he does that, and until he apologises, I think people are entitled to believe that this view is a more widely held belief within the Liberal party,” he said.

“It demonstrates an utter contempt for the people of Salisbury and I think it also reflects a contempt for working people generally.”

While Antoniadis initially appeared to distance himself from the posts, Liberal campaign spokesman Rob Lucas confirmed Antoniadis had made most of the posts.

“He is not claiming that all of these statements are a result of someone hacking, that is not part of his formal complete defence or explanation. He accepts he has made most of those comments and they are his responsibility and he accepts they are inappropriate and they won’t continue,” he told the Advertiser.