Apology for 鈥榟armful鈥� election advertisement
Timber Communities Australia will today deliver a written apology to two Tasmanian rights activists for an election advertisement claiming same-sex marriage and recognising intersex people is dangerous.
The apology is the result of an anti-discrimination case mounted by Martine Delaney and Peter Power against the TCA for advertisements produced during the 2007 federal election.
The apology will be made in Hobart this morning where TCA Tasmanian state manager Barry Chipman will hand over a letter apologising for underhanded campaign tactics.
The series of advertisements included a a television advertisement showing poison symbols and danger signs when describing the Greens policy on same-sex marriage.
Activist Peter Power said the apology was a positive outcome.
鈥淲e took these complaints because of our concerns about marginalised groups being used as cannon fodder in political battles.
It鈥檚 great that TCA has admitted it made a serious mistake, apologised and gone a big step further by helping to address the underlying issues of community awareness,鈥� Power said.
The TCA now admits the advertisement 鈥渋nadvertently鈥� caused hurt and offence to same-sex attracted and intersex people. The organisation ruled out similar campaigns in the future.
鈥淭CA鈥檚 aim in airing the advertisement was purely political, with no intention of harming or offending any groups in Tasmanian society. When we became aware the ad was offensive to these groups, it was immediately withdrawn from broadcast,鈥� Chipman said.
The TCA said they will also distribute brochures to inform the broader community about intersex people.
鈥淲e regret the harm caused, assure you TCA will not be engaging in similar campaigns in future, and are pleased to be taking steps to address the lack of community knowledge which allowed intersex issues to be targeted in the advertisement,鈥� Chipman said.
The apology follows recent apologies from the Exclusive Brethren and the Liberal Party for using similar tactics during the 2006 Tasmanian state election.
Martine Delaney said she hopes the apology will make others think twice in future election campaigns.
Calm down everyone…I will respond to each comment in order.
1. Martine and I did not take TCA for compensation, our compensation was for TCA to apologise and to commit to developing to producing a pamphlet for education for Intersex folk.
We hope that all lobby groups and political parties will now be mindful that if they conduct these types of inciting hatred campaigns, they will be taken to the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal and it will cost them thousands of dollars to fight us again.
2. As a environmentalist activist…your comment is not worth the time!
3. At the end of the day TCA was responsible for the advert not the company who produced it and the ad was passed by the advertising regulation body.
4. I have to say that Barry Chipman is naive and recognises that and he was very sincere in his apology, Martine and I would not have accepted his apology if he did not mean it.
As I live in a rural/remote region I agree that we have a real problem with health services that affect people from every walks of life…not just LGBTI folk.
TCA has recognised that they have LGBTI folk that are members in their membership, lets all be grateful that they had the balls to apologise and commit to not re-offend again.
5. Sorry is not good enough, however it is a start and is better than the Tasmanian state Liberal government can do.
The action of TCA has shown that a national lobby group can and has apologised for the damage that they have done.
Sorry is not good enough!!!!
I am stunned this happened. How could Timber Communities allow this shameful act of corporate homophobia?
Do these idiots know that Tasmania has to beg Victoria to send Doctors each year for short 3month stints purely due to this sort of thing. Doctors choose not to go so they can only get doctors in training for a short time.
Next time one of them has a stroke, and there are no specialist services to help them, they can think of the homophobia and why people do not want to work in timber communities.
Make no mistake homophobia cost lives. This company has dammed people to death without knowing it. Bloody idiots!
If it was a television advertisement then it would have been constructed by an advertising company.
I would be interested in knowing the name of the company that produced the advertisement.
I had no idea same-sex marriage prevented deforestation. Maybe homosexuality should be promoted as environmentally friendly.
And they should be lodging claims for compensation as well I suggest