By Jade Lawton
FAMILY First has officially disendorsed its candidate for La Trobe, David Barrow, after he posted comments supporting gay marriage on a blog.
Mr Barrow, a CPA accountant, will now stand as an Independent candidate and has had discussions with the Australian Sex Party.
He responded to a blog ‘Family First? You need to know what they stand for’ posted by media commentator Mia Freedman on Monday.
“My understanding of what a couple means, and my personal interpretation of Family First policy on this or what it ought to be, is that a family couple is a committed co-dependent relationship between two adults in its widest sense,” he wrote. “At Family First, we say that a family couple is a committed relationship between a man and a woman: Adam and Eve.
“And it is also Adam and Steve — gay and lesbian couples — and Eve with Eve.
“So when it comes to families, Family First is a “broad church” (in the modern secular sense of that term): heterosexual, gay and lesbian couples, as well as bi, trans, and intersex.”
Within hours Family First chairman Peter Lake announced that Mr Barrow had been disendorsed for denouncing the party’s values.
“Unfortunately, Mr Barrow misrepresented himself when he signed up to the party to run in the seat of La Trobe,” Mr Lake said.
“Mr Barrow deliberately misled the party and even thought to sign a secret affidavit without providing it to the party.
“Clearly the views expressed by Mr Barrow in his affidavit are not in accordance with the views of Family First and as a result, the party has disendorsed his candidacy, effective immediately.”
The party informed Mr Barrow via email after he failed to respond to phone calls.
“This is a regrettable incident, however, Family First is committed to moving ahead with a strong campaign and standing up for ordinary Australians on issues that are important to them,” Mr Lake said.
Five candidates will now contest the seat of La Trobe – incumbent MP Jason Wood (Liberal), the ALP’s Laura Smyth, Jim Reiher, from the Australian Greens, Shem Bennett for the Liberal Democrats, and Martin Leahy, representing the Australian Sex Party.
