The emergence of an old photograph of Liberal Mayo candidate Zane Basic touching a Lego Queen Elizabeth II on its chest is unfortunate.

It was a photograph posted to social media years ago and, at the time, was almost certainly intended to be a light-hearted stunt.

He wasn’t physically harming anyone and it’s very likely that if you dig deep enough into many people’s social media, there will be posts, comments or photos they may regret.

It is, as the Liberal Party admits, “unfortunate” that something Mr Basic did as a young adult may well be coming back to haunt him.

However, while many will take it in the spirit it was probably intended, that type of humor does speak to a broader, underlying issue in Australian society.

We live in an age where Federal and State governments are working very hard to teach respect for women and so it’s important that those in positions of leadership, or who aspire to positions of leadership, actively foster that culture.

It is important for our leaders to set a good example when it comes to their conduct and male leaders, in particular, must set a good example when it comes to their interactions with women – including effigies of women.

There’s no evidence at all that Mr Basic does not respect women or that he doesn’t intend to set a positive example if he is elected.

And the voters of Mayo will decide whether or not such an image is an issue to be considered when casting their vote.

For some it undoubtedly will not be – they will perceive it as an immature stunt by a young man having a laugh in a toy store.

For others it may not sit so well.

But wherever it lands for voters, it should serve as a reminder for all of us about how important it is to consider the message and impact that even seemingly innocent jokes, comments or posts can send.

It may be different to the message we intend.