Australian company Optus apologises for 'Anglo-Saxon' job ad

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An Optus job advert includes a line that says: "Preffered : Candidates who are Anglo-Saxon and live near to Neutral Bay"Image source, TWITTER/CATHERINE SNELSON
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The job advert has been removed after causing controversy

An Australian telecommunications company has apologised for posting a job advert that stated a preference for "Anglo-Saxon" candidates.

Optus, the nation's second-biggest provider, had included the description in a posting about a vacant position in a Sydney store.

The advert was shared on social media, where it was criticised as racist.

Optus responded by removing the posting and saying it would investigate the "completely unacceptable" error.

"[We] will be investigating how this occurred with a view to taking disciplinary action against those involved," spokesman Vaughan Paul said in a statement.

Mr Paul said it violated the company's values, and was a breach of advertising standards.

Social media users were angered by the advert.

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Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner, Tim Soutphommasane, also responded to the incident.

"Under the Racial Discrimination Act, it is unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of race in employment," he tweeted.