Barnaby Joyce claims One Nation ‘one of the gayest parties in Australia’ as former candidate’s comments surface
Summary
Barnaby Joyce, a One Nation MP, defended his party as welcoming to gay people after a former One Nation candidate made statements calling same-sex attraction a mental illness. Joyce said the party has many gay members and promotes Australian values of tolerance, though he found the candidate’s comments offensive. One Nation is working to improve its process for selecting candidates ahead of upcoming elections.Key Facts
- A former One Nation candidate, Parminder Singh, called same-sex attraction a mental illness and opposed marriage equality.
- Singh’s comments were made in a video and caused controversy.
- Barnaby Joyce called these comments offensive and said One Nation includes many gay people.
- One Nation MP James Virgo is openly gay.
- Anna Brown, Equality Australia’s chief, said Singh’s views are false and harmful.
- Almost 80% of Australians supported marriage equality in a 2017 survey.
- One Nation has faced criticism for not thoroughly checking candidates.
- Joyce said the party will improve candidate selection as it grows.
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