One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has stood by comments she made 30 years ago condemning the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras while responding to colleague Barnaby Joyce’s claim they have “one of the gayest parties in Australia”.
Senator Hanson did not back Mr Joyce’s claim when asked about it on Sunday, saying that “that’s Barnaby, and Barnaby is Barnaby”.
“I know there are gay people that work for One Nation … and good on them,” she told News24.
“They got it on their merit, not because of their sexuality or … their preference.
“It’s none of my business and I don’t care.”
Mr Joyce made the comment while being asked about homophobic remarks from a former One Nation candidate in last year’s West Australian state election.
Parminder Singh, who failed to win an upper house seat, called homosexuality a “mental illness” that he blamed “on the parents because parents are too busy” in a podcast appearance.
Mr Singh this week apologised, saying he was “sorry I hurt people”.
“I was repeating something I had heard people saying on social media about homosexuality being a mental illness,” he said.
“I should not have presented that as a fact. I respect everyone, and I believe every person in Australia should be free to live their life with dignity, equality and respect.”
‘I still don’t like the gay Mardi Gras’
During her Sunday interview, Senator Hanson was also asked about comments about Mardi Gras that she made during an interview in 1996.
“I don’t like it because it’s promoting something … that is not natural,” she said at the time.
Asked if she still held that view, she said “the world has changed” and noted that Australia had since legalised same-sex marriage.
“Now that’s acceptable, and I’ve got no problem with it,” Senator Hanson said, adding that “people can do what they want in their life”.
“Do I like the gay Mardi Gras? No … I still don’t like the gay Mardi Gras, but that’s my opinion.”
Asked why, Senator Hanson could not say.
“That’s my opinion,” she said.
Pressed further, she said: “I just don’t like the gay Mardi Gras.”
She went on to say that “your own personal sexuality should be kept … behind closed doors”.
“It’s no one’s business to do it out there with the gay Mardi Gras,” she said.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is the country’s biggest LGBTQ+ festival and one of the largest in the world.
It draws tens of thousands of visitors to Sydney and pumps almost $40m into NSW’s economy.
Also appearing on News24 a short time later, Liberal frontbench senator Andrew Bragg praised the event.
“I go most years. I think it’s great,” Senator Bragg said.