Australia: Departing pro-gay Senator attacks ‘deeply homophobic’ colleague
A pro-gay Labor senator has laid into a colleague who will replace her, alleging that he is ‘deeply homophobic’ and ‘disloyal’.
Louise Pratt has represented Western Australia in the senate since 2007, becoming the first senator with a trans partner, and established the cross-party working group on marriage equality.
However, she now stands to lose her seat, after being bumped to second place on the party ticket in favour of Joe Bullock, a Labor colleague and trade union official.
According to ABC Australia, she said: “It is a blow to progressive voters that I would be replaced in the Senate by someone who I have known for many years to be deeply homophobic, to be anti-choice, and has recently emerged disloyal to the very party he has been elected to represent.
“Placing me behind Joe Bullock meant for me I felt like I had every day of campaigning with my arms tied behind my back.
“The leadership of the SDA [union] have consistently used their bloc to preselect members of Parliament who are anti-marriage equality and who are anti-choice.
“I am ashamed that a factional power grab was privileged over principles, deeply held by an overwhelming number of party members and indeed Western Australians more broadly.”
