Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been campaigning in Fremantle this morning but local candidate Sherry Sufi wasn’t standing behind the PM after his controversial views about marriage equality and indigenous recognition were highlighted in the media.
Earlier this year Sufi told Buzzfeed News that recognising Indigenous Australians in the constitution was “a move to divide the country”.
It’s also been highlighted that in 2013 he linked acceptance of same-sex marriage with polygamy and polyamory.
Sufi said calls for marriage equality were a “a perfidious and futile attack on language” that would lead to polygamous and poly-amorous relationships seeking recognition.
The aspiring politician said society would need to create the words ‘homogyny’ to describe relationships with multiple women and ‘homoandry’ for a union between multiple men.
Prior to becoming the Liberal’s candidate for Fremantle Sufi was the chair of the WA Liberal party’s policy group.
Turnbull told reporters that he disagreed with the local candidate on both issues.
“I don’t agree with that but this is an issue on which there is a wide range views but my own view is we should recognize our first Australians in our constitution that is, I might say, the view and commitment of the Government,” the Prime Minister said.
Today it was also revealed that the Fremantle candidate had ‘mis-described’ his work experience in his original application for pre-selection for the seat.
Sufi had reportedly claimed that he worked as a research officer for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. It appears however that he has worked for state politicians including Michael Sutherland and Liz Behjat.
Labor leader Bill Shorten has described Sufi as; “another knuckle dragger from the far right” who showed the Liberal party was divided in its views.
“Malcolm Turnbull has had a lot to say but he can’t even deliver on what he says because the real people pulling the strings are people with these sort of views,” Shorten said.
OIP Staff
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