Comments on: Clem, it is time to say sorry for your cheap shot at Penny Wong

By: battle camp hack 2014

battle camp hack 2014 — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 12:28:24 +0000

Great post but I was wanting to know if you could write a
litte more on this subject? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit
more. Many thanks!

By: Barrie

Barrie — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 04:51:37 +0000

In reply to Miles Heffernan. As i recall Miles it was a lot of people taking Penny Wong to task over what was perveived as her deliberate inaction over marriage. There was even an episode of Q & A where former Senator Graham Richardson had to come to her defence. Three more examples from this very publication: https://starobserver.com.au/news/local-news/new-south-wales-news/letters-issue-1048/33415 https://starobserver.com.au/news/local-news/new-south-wales-news/wong-chooses-politics-over-community/28577 https://starobserver.com.au/opinion/soapbox-opinion/why-i-pity-penny/28557

By: Miles Heffernan

Miles Heffernan — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 00:29:56 +0000

In reply to Barrie. Hi Barrie, The headline was actually Penny Wong 'a disgrace'- attributing a quote. That was one person's view.

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 22:10:04 +0000

Look, I am no fan of Clem voting that a religious requirement, should be key to thousands of government funded jobs, and not ability. It is economic Vandalism, much like Brandis making the Human Rights Commissioner a performing money boy on 324k a year. I think if Clem wants to throw mud, he could start getting his Attorney General, Robert Clark, to say a big sorry. Mr Clark, told parliament, homosexuality is a sick disease, that our lifestyle is destructive, and we molester children more. Penny Wong is not perfect, but she has never committed the sort of ugly smearing of our community Robert Clark has.

By: Deloris

Deloris — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 05:32:17 +0000

Is this Anton Vucic the straight man who previously sought (unsuccessfully) preselection for the Liberal Party in Bruce?

If so, can the Liberal Party please not send party stooges to spam this thread? It should be a place for genuine discussion by members of our community and their supporters.

By: Anton Vucic

Anton Vucic — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 03:57:09 +0000

What a totally self-serving article by Andrew Barr, an ALP hack from Canberra. He has no idea about the great work that Clem has done for our community since his election in 2010. He is not an election-year wonder, as fallaciously asserted by Barr. How on earth would someone living in the Canberra-cocoon have a clue about what is happening in Clem’s seat. I am proud to have Clem represent my interests. Clem is right about Penny Wong. She let Gillard ensure that the gay marriage question failed. Wong did not have the courage of her convictions, and I can never regard her as my champion. The ALP time and again betrays our community, and she is no exception. It was Clem who last year led the crusade – which NSW is now following – to have Victorian criminal records for homosexual acts expunged. Barrs’ beloved ALP has run this state for long stints (’82-’92) and (’99 and’10) and never took the lead for our community. He should consider writing factual articles than rubbish from ALP headquarters. I am relieved that he is not my representative.

By: Agnes

Agnes — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 01:14:01 +0000

Clem Newton-Brown and the Liberal Party are an embarrassment. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt but it seems his claims that he supports our community don’t stack up.

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 00:18:37 +0000

As a resident of Prahran, I know that Clem does and outstanding job representing his constituents on a wide range of issues.

The changes to the discrimination laws have been completely mischaracterised by the writer. You can’t simply sack someone for being gay and I suggest the writer knows this.

Clem is part of a broad team and fights for the interests of Prahran, including the LGTBI community.

While Penny Wong may be a strong supporter of LGTBI rights, it is right to question what all members have actually been able to achieve.

By: Barrie

Barrie — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 23:34:36 +0000

Short memories people. Check what the Star Observer was publishing a few years back: "Penny Wong a disgrace" https://starobserver.com.au/news/local-news/victoria-news/penny-wong-a-disgrace/34614 Now she's a darling? What changed? Certainly not the Commonwealth Marriage Act.

By: TheBainMarie

TheBainMarie — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 22:40:14 +0000

By being a politician you must represent all your constituents not exclusively an interest group.

He correctly asserts that being a gay politician doesn’t guarantee getting results for the community.

Senator Wong is a good member, however, she is, like (most) other politicians bound by her party policies, though I believe she had the opportunity to push the agenda several times during the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd fiasco, and chose not to. Part political strategy, partly to conserve the energy for when the fight is likely to be won.

I don’t think that is a terrible accusation to make. I don’t think she would deny it.

Calm down, there a bigger issues. I wouldn’t want a straight person saying a gay person could represent them or provide professional services, suggesting the opposite is equally offensive.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 21:52:34 +0000

A person should not be given Ecuador he or he is a male or female not should they be given a job because of their sexual orientation. By having a gay or lesbian politician fighting for marriage equality doesn’t mean it will be accepted. We NEED the non gay and lesbian MPs to believe and agree that marriage is for all and not only the straights. An example to show her incompetence and her selfishness, Penny Wong and her partner were lucky enough to have their own child, but what has she done to make sure all gay, not just lesbians, have the same right as themselves to be a gay parent? She has done nothing!

By: Renee

Renee — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 20:52:36 +0000

I’m always so surprised that attitudes like Newton-Brown’s still exist today. In years to come, this time will be looked back on as shameful, a time when not enough good people stood up for the rights of the oppressed in our society. Apologies are only a shallow way for those who meant what they said to back-track from it. The people of Prahran need to show him the door.

By: PrahranGuy

PrahranGuy — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 11:08:53 +0000

The fact is that Clem voted to strip us of anti-discrimination protections and he is a member of the Liberal Party – the party of Tony Abbott and Cory Bernardi – which has done more to oppose marriage equality than any other.

I hear Clem is refusing to say sorry to Senator Wong, but I think everybody would respect him more if he just did the right thing and apologised.

By: Taryn

Taryn — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 10:54:24 +0000

Another white straight privileged male arguing that the diversity in Australia does not need to be reflected in our representative structures.
He is as much of an advocate for the LGBTI community, as Abbott is a feminist. Like Abbott’s woeful record on women’s rights, clem’s bigot enabling parliamentary record speaks volumes for his sincerity to LGBTI people and their families.

By: Alex W

Alex W — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 10:20:34 +0000

In reply to Alex W. *gospel

By: Alex W

Alex W — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 10:18:50 +0000

The shamelessness of the latest ilk of conservative governments knows no bounds. They are willing on any point they believe to ‘create’ their own facts then campaign behind them as gossip. Even Howard wasn’t this righteous.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 10:06:19 +0000

Napthine Liberal Government… Gay mafia phone tree activate- kick these hateful self serving “politicians” out.

Worst. Government. Ever.

By: Liz

Liz — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 09:50:34 +0000

Time to apologise Clem, be a man and do the right thing.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 09:14:41 +0000

This is a very disappointing performance by Clem Newton-Brown.

His votes to strip us of equal opportunity protections are an insult.

I’d be very interested to hear what he has to say for himself about this.

He must apologise to Penny.

By: Peter de Groot

Peter de Groot — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 09:07:20 +0000

To tell you the truth I like Penny Wong. But to pretend Penny couldn’t have done more for GLBTIQ rights as a South Australian Senator is very true.

South Australia has defunded it’s AIDS council and Senator Wong has been silent.

Senator Wong could have used her prestige to push the South Australian government to legislate to remove the gay panic defense but again Senator Wong has been silent.

The Victorian ALP has never preselected a GLBTIQ candidate in a winnable seat.

The Liberal Party had it’s first openly gay member of parliament back in 1999.

Yes Australia does have a problem in not electing GLBTIQ candidates. No GLBTIQ candidate has been elected to The House of Representatives.

No GLBTIQ candidates have been elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly.