Kimberly Hone, the National party’s candidate for the marginal New South Wales electorate of Richmond, has been criticised for a series of social media posts including one where she claimed “one way to avoid domestic violence is to marry well.”
Hone recently told worshipers at a local Pentecostal church that her “ultimate goal” in politics was to “bring God’s kingdom to the political arena,” her comments were reported in The Guardian.
Local media have previously reported that Hone’s social media account were filled with articles she shared questioning the parenting abilities of lesbian couples, criticism of Australia’s vote in favour of marriage equality and challenging the concept of human involvement in global warming.
Like many political candidates Hone appears to have deleted many of her previous social media comments prior to campaigning for a seat in parliament.
In one of her deleted posts from 2017 Hone said “imagine if your child’s school secretly started feeding your child transgender hormone tablets.”
Hone has previously worked as a chaplain, and a youth church leader, and she now runs a business with her husband providing advice to Christian business owners. She has previously been involved in the Family First party, and has been a supporter of Cory Bernardi’s now defunct Australian Conservatives. The Nationals official description of her though is just as a local business owner and mother.
In a video from last year Hone spoke to the Living Waters Pentecostal church in the electorate where she told parishioners “I’m so glad that you don’t trust your government any more”.
“I’m so glad that you are worried about the vaccination, that you no longer trust medical science, because you are asking questions about what happens after death,” she said.
“The public are asking these great questions. The harvest is ready. I’m having amazing conversations with people, even in the political arena, who have been working on government places for decades and all of a sudden they don’t like the government. They don’t know what they’re doing there. This is a great place.
“How do we bring God’s kingdom to the political arena? How do we change the mountain, from the inside out, not the outside in.
“The ultimate goal for me is … I want to bring God’s kingdom to the political arena. And I want God’s kingdom to penetrate the political mountain.” Hone said.
Hone responded to The Guardian and said it was absurd to suggest that her motivations for running for parliament were anything but wanting to represent the local community.
“My motivation in running for parliament is to represent the best interests of the people of the Richmond electorate, and any suggestion otherwise is absurd.
“There is nothing wrong with being a Christian and running for parliament. I stand by my faith and I ask that be respected, as I respect the beliefs of others.”
Hone later posted to he Facebook saying she was being
The seat is currently held by Labor MP Justine Elliot has described Hone’s posts as “repulsive” and “deeply offensive”. Elliot has called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to disendorse Hone over her comments on domestic violence.
National’s leader Barnaby Joyce has responded to the criticism saying he stands by Hone.
You can say what you like in this country, because people have fought and died for it,” Joyce said when asked about the comments on Thursday.
“If you don’t agree with someone’s views that’s also your right.”
“I’m not going to start this pile on of certain people because it’s completely at odds with what we respect in this nation, which is your right of free speech,” he said.
Hone later added a post to her page saying she was being criticised because of her faith, but later in the day the post appeared to have been deleted.
“So the Guardian, along with the incumbent Labor member and Greens candidate have said today that I don’t deserve to run in any campaign because I have a faith,” the post read.
OIP Staff 21-04-22 17:05 Updated to include comment from Barnaby Joyce and Facebook statement from Kimberly Hone.
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