A Victorian Greens candidate has quit over social media posts he made from 2012 to 2015, including one in which he made a racist joke.

Jay Dessi stood down as the candidate for the safe Labor seat of Lalor in western Melbourne, after his social media history was revealed.

The Greens confirmed Mr Dessi resigned on Wednesday after The Australian published details of his social media history, including a racist joke he made at the expense of a friend.

“Jay Dessi has given an unreserved apology to anyone they may have offended. I have now been advised that he has stood down as candidate for Lalor,” Senator Di Natale said on Wednesday.

The party will take down his campaign posters.

“I am electing to step down from being the Greens candidate for the division of Lalor,” Mr Dessi said.

“I again apologise for offence that my posts may have caused.”

Mr Dessi’s decision comes days after the Victorian Liberals lost two candidates for racist and homophobic remarks, while Victorian Labor also lost a candidate for crude jokes.

In Tasmania, another Liberal candidate stood down amid controversy about anti-Muslim posts made online.

However, the Greens say they will not dump their candidate, George Hanna, in the NT seat of Lingiari.

Mr Hanna shared a meme on Facebook in January showing Aboriginal Warlpiri/Celtic Country Liberal Jacinta Price drinking from a coconut with the caption, “It’s not every day you see a coconut drinking from a coconut.”

The term is considered a racial slur used to accuse dark-skinned people of acting white.

The post was shared by Mr Hanna – who is also indigenous – before he nominated to run for the seat of Lingiari. He has since apologised.

-with AAP