Labor MP Jerome Laxale has issued an apology on behalf of his father Alain who was caught on camera making homophobic remarks to a Liberal party volunteer.
Laxale is the current member for Bennelong, the inner city Sydney seat previously held by former Prime Minister John Howard.
In the exchange Alain Laxale is seen asking a Liberal party volunteer “How’s your boyfriend?”
When the volunteer responds I’m not gay, buddy.” Laxale retorts, “How’s your bum? How’s your bum, sore today?”
The shocked volunteer responds saying “Excuse me?”
News of the video was first broken by The Sydney Morning Herald to who the MP gave an apology.
“I love my Dad but the things he said were deeply offensive and completely unacceptable. He should not have said them. I’ve spoken to him and he regrets them and apologises unreservedly.” the first term MP said.
Laxale was previously in local government serving as the Mayor of the City of Ryde for two terms from 2015 until 2016, and then again from 2017 until 2022.
HIs seat his seen as a key battleground in Saturday’s election as he only holds the seat with the tiniest of margins of 0.04%.
The seat was first created in 1948. Bennelong had only two sitting members in its first 58 years of existence. Bennelong was represented from 1949 until his retirement in 1974 by Sir John Cramer. He was succeeded by John Howard who went on to become Prime Minister.
When Howard lost the 2007 election, he also lost his seat to Labor’s Maxine McKew. At the following election in 2010 the Liberals regained the seat with former tennis champion John Alexander.
Alexander went on to win the seat four more times, including a 2017 by-election caused by his own resignation under Section 44 of the constitution. Alexander was discovered to hold dual citizenship that he was previously unaware of.
Laxale was elected in 2022 when Alexander retired, he won over the Liberals candidate Simon Kennedy. The difference between the two candidates after preferences was just 1,234 votes. This time round the Liberals Scott Yung is the challenger.
