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Bob Katter’s homophobia is abhorrent, says socialist candidate

The Socialist Alliance Queensland released the statement below on March 15.

Liam Flenady, Socialist Alliance candidate for the seat of South Brisbane in the March 24 Queensland elections, has slammed the TV ad by Bob Katter's Australian Party (KAP) that attacked Liberal National Party (LNP) leader Campbell Newman over the equal marriage issue. "The advert is homophobic and abhorrent to all decent human values," Flenady said.

“The KAP ad attacks Newman for his supposed personal support for gay marriage. It undermines and demeans the rights of gay and lesbian people to have their relationships recognised legally, just like any other couple in our society.

“Bob Katter's brother Carl was right on the money when he said: 'My brother talks about family values. Well, I'm here to tell him that hate is not a family value.’

“Katter and his colleagues in the Queensland branch of the KAP seem intent on returning to the dark days of the Joh Bjelke-Petersen regime in this state. We need to go forward to a new, humane era of equal rights, not go back to the conservative and divisive policies of the past.

“That said, Newman is himself hypocritical on the gay civil unions issue. When asked, he said, ‘We would be looking at [repealing civil union legislation] if we become the government.’ He is obviously caving in to the strong Christian right lobby in the LNP on this vital matter.

“The ALP is also two-faced on the equal marriage rights question, enacting civil unions laws in Queensland, but refusing to support necessary legislation for full equal marriage rights at the federal level.”

Flenady said: “The Socialist Alliance, on the other hand, supports full marriage equality for all.”

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