One of the interesting historical revisions from the Western Australian elections is the Australian Christian Lobby claiming that there wasn’t a debate about Labor’s proposal to put $1.4 million in to fund the Safe Schools program when the federal government’s cash runs out later this year. Managing director Lyle Shelton tweeted it was the “untold story” of the WA election.
This has left some in WA scratching their heads. As Ms Tips previously reported, there were flyers distributed about it, the ACL held a forum with Labor leader Mark McGowan and former premier Colin Barnett where both men pushed their positions (with one audience member remarking that Barnett had “just won” the election by announcing his opposition to Safe Schools). The ACL subsequently put out multiple releases on it. Peter Abetz, the older brother of he-who-hates rainbow flags, Senator Eric Abetz, campaigned strongly not only in his seat but other seats on the issue. His local paper also had a front-page wrap “warning” parents about the program. Untold story? Incidentally, Abetz the elder had his butt kicked in his seat by Labor’s Terry Healy, who was the first celebrant to legally marry a gay couple in Australia when it was briefly legal in the ACT.
I did a lot of door knocking in Swan Hills and not one voter brought it up with me. It was ignored because it’s widely supported and its only the insufferable ACL and a handful of their ratbag RWNJ supporters who keep harping on about it.
When the anti Safe Schools people did some letterboxing with their pamphlet it started a furious response which was overwhelmingly in support of the program and resulted in a handful of the anti Safe Schools people being openly mocked and accused of acting like paedophiles.
A furious response on our community Facebook page I should have added.