Katter dumps candidate over gay marriage
A member of Federal MP Bob Katter’s newly formed Australian Party has been dropped over concerns he raised about a conscience vote on same-sex marriage.
Former police officer Jason Somerville said he was dumped as a candidate after questioning the party’s Christian constitution and whether he’d be able to maintain a personal, rather that party, view on issues such as same-sex marriage, abortion and surrogacy.
“I was told that basically it’s founded on Christian values and that on votes such as same-sex [marriage] that we’d have to vote with the party, which was against it,” Somerville told Ten 今日吃瓜.
“I was told that I wasn’t the type of person he wanted to have in the party.”
In its Core Values and Principles, the Australian Party’s view on marriage is:
Because it is in the economic and social interests of the community, laws in their enactment and application must support and uphold marriage. Marriage is the union of a man and a woman, ideally for life. It is in the best of interests of children that they are nurtured by their father and their mother and laws concerning children should be based on the best interests of children.
Somerville had been the Queensland Party’s endorsed candidate for the seat of Ferny Grove since 2010. The party had a history of allowing candidates their own view on issues such as same-sex marriage, rather than a party line.
It wasn’t until the Queensland Party merged with Katter’s Australian Party that Somerville’s candidacy was put in doubt.
His claims, along with leaked emails from other members of the former Queensland Party, have shown internal doubts regarding the merger and Katter’s leadership.
Last week the Australian Electorial Commission (AEC) rejected the registration of the Australian Party’s name, ruling that it would be too easily confused with other political parties on a ballot.
It sounds like Bob Katter is doing a good job.
I’d like to see his Party expand to other parts of the nation.
Sunny Shamrock
At the start of my comment, I gave the following.
“Exert from Anglican Bishop John McIntyre -The Age 2009” I then went on and gave the link to the article.
Cheers,
Dave
Dave said “AM perplexed! On Sunday, The Age reported that Victorian Attorney-General Rob Hulls had, after extensive lobbying from conservative church leaders, pre-empted a parliamentary committee report on exemptions to the Equal Opportunity Act. Hulls announced a compromise that will allow church groups to continue to discriminate, albeit in a more limited way. ”
Dave I am perplexed, Rob Hulls is not Victorian Attorney General anymore, he lost his job when Labor lost the last State election and he was the person who brought in the anti discrimination laws that the Liberals have now reversed.
I can’t wait for Bob to try to get around the AEC rejection of the party’s name by changing it to “Katter’s Real Australian Party” without even noticing the acronym …
Religion has no place in a democratic government. I question any person who uses the expression “Australia was founded on Christian Values” These values were clearly demonstrated in the early colonial (invasion) days by raping, pillaging, mass murder, theft, enslavement etc of the peoples who occupied this country before Cook and co arrived.
I do not desire to live under the opressive and violent rule of christian values. A few words that could be useful is “Do no harm” If this was to be applied to all that we choose to do, the world just might be a better place, but not for those who desire to FORCE their values upon others, and there seems to be no lack of those people in this world.
If consenting adults desire to commit to each other in marriage then what business is it of others?
As long as each person adhere’s to their beliefs as dictated by their own conscience, (and DO NO HARM) then leave others to do the same.
The fear about same sex parents being detrimental to children is BS. The harm is created by the reaction of those around them, not by the dynamics of the same sex parenting.
At the end of the day each person will be held accountable to their own God and in the final analysis we’re each responsible for our own personal thoughts, words and actions WE’RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE THOUGHTS, WORDS AND ACTIONS OF OTHERS.
Ther’s no true democratic party in this country. If there was there’d be no debate over same sex marriage, it would simply be a human right for consenting adults to commit to each other in marriage regardless of sex.
Katter and his hate filled party have no place here, HOWEVER, OUR DEMOCRACY PROTECTS HIS RIGHT TO HOLD HIS OWN OPINION, LIVE BY IT AND EXPRESS IT, Pitty he and his ilk don’t extend the same right to others.
The Australia Klu Kux Klan has let fly condemning Bob Katter for stealing their policies for the Australia Party.
In particular, they are outraged at core value #18: Because it is in the economic and social interests of the community, laws in their enactment and application must support and uphold marriage. Marriage is the union of a man and a woman, ideally for life. It is in the best of interests of children that they are nurtured by their father and their mother and laws concerning children should be based on the best interests of children.
Now what many of the good folk of Kennedy do not understand, is those who make decisions about funding and services, businesses and government departments, can be 鈥渉omosexual鈥� or could be a 鈥渟ingle mother鈥� or 鈥渇ather鈥�, or could be of a different 鈥渆thnic background鈥�.
The cost of the Australia Party will be measured in decreased investment in the community, high unemployment, farmers giving up, and an increase in suicides. Katter is catastrophic for Queenslanders using the language of hate. As a local member he could not even be bothered turning up to work many times, at parliament attending only 24% of votes.
Perhaps apart from steeling the word hate, Bob Katter and the Australia Party have stolen the word bludger . They do not believe in hard honest work, and they do not want services or investment for Queensland. The Australia Party, like Bob Katter, will no doubt ensure businesses keep closing, and government services are slashed. The Australia Party and Bob Katter are one of the most destructive forces for investment and services that Queensland has ever seen.
Here they are getting knifing a candidate based on the Bob Katter鈥檚 religious beliefs. They want laws passed so people are excluded from jobs based on their religious beliefs that follow the Klu Klux Klan.
In November 1989, Katter claimed there were no homosexuals in North Queensland. He promised to walk backwards from Bourke if there were any. Katter voted against the Human Rights (Sexual Conduct) Act, 1994, which decriminalised homosexuality in Tasmania. He has at every opportunity wanted people locked up based on their sexuality.
The Australia Party simply shames those who believe in democracy and fairness, those who want investment, those who work the land. They are about doing damage to Australians, nothing more and nothing less. They stand for hate, they advocate hate, and they have stolen the work bludger using Katter as a pin up boy.
Katter claims we “stole” the term gay. Id like to see proof of this because as far as im concerned, it’s just another label that hets used to describe homosexuals.
Yeah @drew, I so wish we had some more out racists making racist comments, I mean wouldn’t that be great for a laugh.
[…] Posted by admin, on August 22nd, 2011 If you think gays should have equal rights, you can’t be a candidate for Katter’s Austra… […]
Bob Katter is a dinosaur – stop voting for him !
I live in Kennedy and unfortunately other people in this electorate are voting for him..in large numbers.
I think it is unfortunate as I know many of them do not hold with Mr Katter’s views on many subjects, but they feel he stands up for Kennedy.
That tide is starting to turn however, he is looking like a fool, an idiot and bringing the electorate into disrepute – we all get tarred with the same brush, people will remember that at the next election..I hope.
Bob Katter bring great humour to an otherwise grey boring Australian Political Life.
Is he homophobic …maybe…but somehow I don’t think he is going to change his views any day soon. He is a Conservative from far North Queensland…Hello!!
There will be more. It’s been said that another Queensland Party candidate, Ms Johanson, wanting to represent Gold Coast constituents, expressed her concerns about this merger too. The Queensland Party seemed to be approaching things with policies to reflect issues in the various parts of Queensland, with focus on regional issues, like CSG, and south-east Qld issues like daylight saving. Katter is only interested in north Queensland, and thinks daylight saving is evil devil worship.
Or maybe he wasnt endorsed due to his performance as a candidate so far and nothing to do with gay marriage?
Exert from Anglican Bishop John McIntyre -The Age 2009
Christians should support equality and human rights laws, not seek exemptions.
I AM perplexed! On Sunday, The Age reported that Victorian Attorney-General Rob Hulls had, after extensive lobbying from conservative church leaders, pre-empted a parliamentary committee report on exemptions to the Equal Opportunity Act. Hulls announced a compromise that will allow church groups to continue to discriminate, albeit in a more limited way. This will, I imagine, also flow on to the national debate under way in regards to the introduction of a national Human Rights Charter.
Such a response is arguably at odds with the essence of what the founder of the Christian faith lived, taught and died for. How bizarre that the followers of Jesus Christ would oppose, and ask for exemptions from, a legal instrument that has at its heart a declaration of the dignity and value of every human life and the basic rights of every person. Jesus of all people, would champion an affirmation of fundamental human rights, which especially benefits marginalised groups in society and those least able to protect themselves.
Read more:
The Australia Party, like Family First, is seeking to ride a wave of negative sentiment that is simply not in the wider community. Family First also had a candidate who supported Equality under the law, and he was also demolished, and in the process revealed a party with no democracy, and people who run the party that make-up the Gospels as they go along. With no set rules, the Australia Party will collapse like Family First.
I am just not convinced the Gospel of Bob Katter, is something most Australians are flocking to. Especially in light of the fact a majority of Australian Christians also support Equality, but then again they do not believe Bob Katter is Jesus, as much as would like to tell us so. I wish Bob would sit down with his son and have a much needed talk, before he plays the gay hate card for political power.
Katter’s style isn’t leadership, it’s bullying. He represents no one except a very, narrow group of bigots who would like Australia to return to 1950. Stop wasting our time and yours Katter.
Bob Katter recently said we stole the word Gay. I have to ask did he take the word hate?
I mean here he is not even accepting a democracy in his own party. I feel so sorry for his son鈥�. The saying “you cannot choose your family comes”, to my mind when I hear Bob rave.