The Victorian Liberal Party has put an independent candidate who believes gay people can be cured of homosexuality in the second spot of their How to Vote card for Saturday’s state election.

The ABC have highlighted that in the seat of Buninyong in the state’s west, the Liberals will be encouraging people to give their second preference vote to independent candidate Dianne Colbert.

Colbert has previously advocated for gay conversion therapy saying that sexuality is not inert and can be changed. She has also described being transgender as “part of Satan’s push to remove male and female from the dictionary”.

The aspiring politician has run for office several times and was also involved in the Coalition for Marriage campaign against marriage equality. In 2017 her accreditation to run Mental Health First Aid Courses was revoked after she posted a video claiming that homosexuality could be cured via prayer.

Liberal candidate Andrew Kilmartin said he did not do any research into any of the candidates he is standing alongside and the decision to award the second choice preferences to Colbert was made by the party’s headquarters. Kilmartin said he did not share Colbert’s views.

Earlier this year a Liberal branch linked to federal MP Kevin Andrews, pushed to have a policy promoting gay conversion therapy discussed within the party. The move was shut down by state president Michael Kroger.

Last week Opposition Leader Matthew Guy  denied his party was not supportive of the LGBTI community.  The Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby released a report outlining what each party had to offer to the LGBTI community.

On Sunday the Liberals announced if elected they would establish a parliamentary inquiry into the quality of services for LGBTI people in outer Melbourne and regional Victoria. A Guy Liberal government would also establish the first LGBTI business roundtable.

OIP Staff