Here's an ad being run now by Bob Katter's Australian Party targeting Queensland Liberal National Party leader Campbell Newman. It's short. Give it a click.
So that's pretty disgusting. But who's really attacking whom, and why?
Bob Brown is the leader of the Australian Green Party, which has been steadfast in its advocacy for same-sex marriage. So far, so good.
It's election time, and the Liberal National Party has pledged to scrap civil unions, supported by the existing Labor Government and currently in place in Queensland. So while Campbell Newman, the Liberal Party leader, really personally supports marriage equality, his party does not. Mr. Newman defends his and his party's stances by saying
"Gay marriage is a federal issue."
Confused yet?
Bob Katter's Australian Party, the sponsor of the ad, seems to be a bit like our own Tea Party, taking positions against the "nanny state" and a carbon tax, while promoting "free trade." Bob Katter himself sees nothing wrong with the ad, which should give you some insight into Mr. Katter.
Both Newman and the Queensland head of the Australian Party, Aidan McLindon, would like to replace Anna Bligh of the Labor Party as Premier. She is also a strong supporter of marriage equality, and has called the ad
bizarre and confused
which is probably the only non-confusing thing about this entire kangaroo fight.
To put this all in some context, nationwide some 60% of Australians support same-sex marriage.
Still confused?
Really? What could be confusing about interjecting two naked men into the middle of a political advertisement?
Now that that's cleared up, where does that leave us?
With an ad prominently featuring pictures of naked men. Said ad being used to attack a politician whose position is supported by most of his countrymen. Said ad being used to siphon off homophobic, conservative Liberal National voters so that they will vote for an even more conservative party led by a man who's so vain he names the party after himself.
It makes "Googling Santorum" look downright tame.
Sun Mar 11, 2012 at 10:29 PM PT: The shit is really coming down:
Liberal National Party Leader Campbell Newman has abruptly left a media conference, complaining it was going "round and around" on same-sex marriage.
Reporters on Monday tried to pin Mr Newman down on when a LNP government would repeal the new civil union legislation and if any change would be retrospective, voiding unions already registered.
http://news.theage.com.au/...