By Shelby Brooks
The Liberal Party’s Victorian director has denied he was aware of a candidate’s links to a controversial church at the time of her pre-selection.
The party distanced itself from Upper House hopeful for Eastern Victoria Renee Heath on Saturday 19 November after it was revealed she was a member of the City Builders Church.
The church has been accused of promoting gay-conversion therapy and being opposed to gay, transgender and reproductive rights.
Ms Heath has been campaigning alongside Pakenham Liberal candidate David Farrelly in the lead up to the state election.
The pair have filmed a number of videos which have appeared on Facebook speaking to issues within the Pakenham electorate.
On November 12, Ms Heath posted on Facebook that Mr Farrelly was, “an incredible community advocate” and “I’m so lucky that I get to work with such a legend. Thanks David for everything you do for the community”.
When asked about his relationship with Ms Heath by the Gazette, Mr Farrelly declined to comment.
On Twitter, Eastern Victorian Labor MP Harriet Shing pointed out the “pretty effusive support” Mr Farrelly had received from Ms Heath.
“What an endorsement,” Ms Shing wrote.
There is no mention of religion on Ms Heath’s candidate profile, but she has previously voiced her belief in the separation of church and state.
“I am not my father. To suggest that I am is offensive, as it belittles me,” Ms Heath said in a previous statement.
Liberal leader Matthew Guy on Saturday said it was too late to disendorse Ms Heath as a candidate but she would not sit in the party room if elected next week.
Reports published on Sunday said senior Liberal figures were warned of Ms Heath’s views weeks ago and yet the party chose to endorse her.
Liberal state director Sam McQuestin denied the reports, saying none of the information about Ms Heath’s ongoing and recent engagement with Pastor Jonathan David was made available to him.
Mr Guy backed his state director, saying Mr McQuestin followed the proper process for endorsing candidates.
“I wasn’t on the candidate selection process but I trust implicitly my party to do that work with the information they have at the time,” he told reporters on Sunday.
“The process went through the checks and balances… and that’s very important.”
Ms Heath was pre-selected over the current Liberal MP for Eastern Victoria Region Cathrine Burnett-Wake.
Ms Wake raised concern about the risk of extremist groups during her valedictorian speech on Wednesday 21 September, condemned their influence on politics and warning “ordinary Victorians need to awaken to the threat”.
Ms Burnett-Wake said when voters are disappointed by the choices offered to them or when their vote makes no difference, they lose faith in democracy and the electoral system is undermined.
“We cannot afford for people to turn away from democracy, because the alternative is all too obvious,” she said.
“It always means less freedom, less prosperity, less fairness.”
Ms Burnett-Wake was appointed to the Upper House of Victorian Parliament after the retirement of the Liberal MP Edward O’Donohue before being defeated in a close pre-selection on the Liberal Party ticket for Eastern Victoria by Ms Heath.
– With AAP
