Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In a recent City of Albany council meeting on 27 February this year, Councillor Thomas Brough, a highly regarded councillor and emergency medicine doctor, briefly commented on the funding of the recent pride festival held in Albany, sharing his concerns regarding issues raised with him by constituents. In doing so, Councillor Brough essentially asked the council to satisfy itself that there are no persons connected with the Albany event that would support the views of some pride event organisers in other jurisdictions around the world who advocate for minor-attracted persons to be included as a supported group as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Following this, the ABC in its reporting ran the headline 'Albany councillor Thomas Brough slammed for homophobic comments during week of pride'. The ABC selectively presented Councillor Brough's comments to provide a very lopsided and misleading characterisation of an otherwise upstanding councillor that Albany constituents can be proud of. The Albany Advertiser continued the vilification by publishing an opinion piece from a gay activist on 14 March which falsely asserts that Councillor Brough was blaming gays for child sexual abuse, even though the ABC and the Albany Advertiserhave been provided with evidence that there are numerous LGBTQIA+ activists such as Professor Gary Dowsett, who was the deputy director of the Australian Research Centre on Sex, Health and Society for 22 years, who have openly campaigned for adults having sexual relations with consenting children to be normalised and viewed as just another sexual orientation.

Councillor Brough has every right to raise concerns from his constituents who are concerned with the ever-advancing march of the radical left. However, in no way was Councillor Brough attempting to disparage members of the LGB community. He was simply raising the concerns that his constituents have shared.