WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam says she’s focused on holding the Labor government to account as she heads towards the state election.
“Like the rest of the WA Liberal team, I intend to get on with holding this tired, incompetent Labor Government to account for squandering WA’s economic boom, and only delivering soaring crime rates, a cost-of-living crisis, and an explosion in ambulance ramping.” Mettam told OUTinPerth on Thursday.
The Liberal leader did not respond to questions put to her regarding a speech given by Albany candidate Dr Thomas Brough last week.
The local councilor, who will be the Liberal Party’s candidate for Albany, has thrown his support behind local group Keep Children Safe – Albany who are calling for sex education books to be removed from libraries, as well as raising concerns about youth twerking, Dungeons and Dragons, people who are transgender, and the local Pride festival.
Mettam said she expected all Liberal candidates to be focused on the same list of issues as she was.
“The same is expected from all our candidates.” she said after listing her areas of focus.
Thomas Brough made international headlines earlier this year when as a local councilor he suggested the plus sign in LGBTIQA+ suggested an inclusion of “minor attracted people”.
The councilor later apologised for his comments, saying he was only raising concerns that had been brought to him by local residents. However at last week’s meeting with Keep Children Safe – Albany he spoke about his appreciation of right-wing US writer James A Lindsay.
Lindsay has described the Pride flag as “the flag of a hostile enemy”, and one multiple occasions he’s referenced a Biblical passage calling for people to be put to death. He argues that members of the LGBTIQA+ communities aim to “groom” innocent youth to join their ranks.
Linsday has been classed as an extremist by the US based Southern Poverty Law Centre.
Brough could face Local Government Standards Panel
Following his comments linking the LGBTIQA+ communities to pedophiles, Councilor Brough’s colleagues ordered him to attend a training session on inclusive workplaces delivered by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Councilor Brough told his colleagues that he would refuse to attend the mandated training session comparing it to “conversion therapy”.
He would not attend the training and said the requirement was akin to “forced re-education” and “thought de-programming” used by military dictatorships in North Korea, China or Russia.
“It is in the public domain that council decided that their ratepayers should foot the bill for a uniquely un-Australian punishment: my forced re-education by government bureaucracy — conversion therapy, or at least on the cusp of it,” he said.
“Let me be clear: I will not comply. Let me be clear: I defy you.”
The councilor then reportedly took aim at media outlets who covered his comments, describing media reports as “editorial wish-casting”, addressing journalists and editors as “comrade” and “commissar”.
The Albany Advertiser has reported that while Councilor Brough has vowed not to attend the training, the move might se him referred to the Local Govrenment Standards Panel.
A spokesperson for the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries confirmed that order from the council was something that Councilor Brough should comply with.
“Failure to do so would make the councillor the subject of a potential minor breach complaint that the Council’s complaints officer would refer to the Local Government Standards Panel.” the spokesperson said.
