Liberal leader Zak Kirkup stepped in during a media call yesterday, stopping Victoria Park candidate Amanda-Sue Markham from answering a question about her views on homosexuality.
Channel Nine reporter Jacqueline Robson asked the candidate if her views aligned with those of her husband, Pastor Campbell Markham. While Markham didn’t get a chance to answer the question, leaving constituents in Victoria Park in the dark about her views, she has previously been questioned on the topic.
Markham last ran for political office at the 2019 federal election. Back then she and her family were based in Tasmania. During an election forum for ABC Radio host Leon Compton put questions to the Liberal candidate.
Markham outlined that she was running for parliament to protect people’s franking credits, and the interests of those who had negatively geared investment properties, while ensuring there was sufficient rental market in the seat of Clark.
Leon Compton asked Markham about the dis-endorsement of Liberal candidate Gurpal Singh, who had been dropped by the party the previous day over comments he’d made rape victims and statements he’d made linking homosexuality and pedophilia.
“Long time time Liberal supporters will be shaking their heads and asking why your party is so attractive to homophobes and racists.” Compton proposed to Markham.
“I don’t believe that at all Leon, that’s not the case.” Markham responded, saying that while both major parties has a number of dis-endorsed candidates during the campaign she saw herself as quality candidate who was committed to the people of Clark.
When asked that her church, the Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, taught about homosexuality – and whether gay people went to heaven or hell, Markham said the answer was simple.
“The basis of Christianity is that we are all sinners, we are all sinful people, and that’s a fundamental teaching of Christianity, it’s not specific to any one group of people, it’s just the foundation of Christianity.”
Asked a second time if her church teaches that homosexual people got to heaven or hell, Markham said it was inaccurate to present the question is such terms.
“It’s inaccurate to frame the question that way, because quite simply the gospel says that all of us are in a position where we need forgiveness from God, all of us, that’s what the Gospel says, and that the good news is that Jesus died to forgive those sins. So that’s a blanket – it applies to everyone.”
Noting recent news about statements made by Rugby player Israel Folau, Compton asked the question for a third time.
“As I said before, I include myself in that, in that we’re sinful people, we aren’t perfect and the first part of Christianity is admitting that we are not perfect and in need of forgiveness from God, that really all I can say.” Markhan said in response.
Yesterday Liberal leader Zak Kirkup later told the ABC that he was confident with the part’s vetting processes for candidates, but the process only applied to the candidates themselves not their family members.
“When the vetting process does take place it looks at the candidate,” Kirkup said.
“I don’t think any of us could expect that you could cover the entire family unit.
“Are we going to hold candidates responsible for comments that other family members make? Is that the line we’re expected to draw here?
Kirkup said he did not support the comments attributed to Pastor Markham, but said people should understand they were not made by the Liberal party’s candidate.
“I don’t support the comments at all, I don’t endorse the comments whatsoever, but the reality is that they were not made by the candidate that the Liberal Party is standing in Victoria Park at this election.”
OIP Staff, OUTinPerth has reached out to both Zak Kirkup and Amanda-Sue Markham for comment.
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