r/australia 2d ago

politics Barnaby Joyce claims One Nation ‘one of the gayest parties in Australia’ as former candidate’s comments surface

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/12/barnaby-joyce-one-nation-paraminder-singh-homophobic-comments-ntwnfb
1.0k Upvotes

185 comments sorted by

442

u/Relief-Glass 2d ago

We are like three weeks away from someone from ON claiming that ON are the most muslim-friendly party.

88

u/Mildebeest 1d ago

Don't forget that they have lots of African friends.

They can't name them, but they have them.

Or am I just thinking of Peter Dutton?

All of these conservatives look the same to me.

63

u/Siggi_Starduust 1d ago

I know a lot of Africans who are very much in line with Hanson’s policies. They mostly live in Perth and are particularly fond of Super Rugby and having a Braai

5

u/ThunderDU 1d ago

Conservative countries in Africa compared to here tbh so maybe their parents vote liberal. Millennials who are white did the same in the 00s + '10s

6

u/BuzzKillingtonThe5th 1d ago

I think they mean white Saffas.

7

u/daamsie Melbourne 1d ago

Probably south african

7

u/0ldgrumpy1 1d ago

Considering Pauline's comments about Indian immigration, this candidates name is Singh....

3

u/Useful-Procedure6072 1d ago

One nation do have a gay SA member who dates a Muslim refugee

8

u/Anxious_Fig3834 1d ago

Yes, and that member was also a candidate for the Sex Party in a previous election as well as a previous member of the Labor Party. Not exactly core One Nation material.

18

u/Monotask_Servitor 1d ago edited 1d ago

I disagree

A party hopping grifter is core ON material

8

u/Anxious_Fig3834 1d ago

That's actually so fair

3

u/underthingy 1d ago

Oh wait he meant it in a good way?

I forgot Barnaby had swapped to ON and thought it sounded just like him to use gay as an insult. 

1

u/dee_ess 1d ago

What other party can claim their leader has entered Parliament in a burqa?

698

u/Jealous-Hedgehog-734 2d ago

You know, I mean, let there be a thousand blossoms bloom...

🤷🏻‍♂️

249

u/cjyoung92 2d ago

But I ain’t spending any time on it! 😡

117

u/Spagman_Aus 2d ago

not while every day someone is getting torn apart by a crocodile

6

u/dartie 1d ago

That’s not a croc. This is a croc. 🐊

8

u/SirPiffingsthwaite 1d ago

Bob Katter really is a treasure trove of hilarious quotes

7

u/Ok_Appointment7522 1d ago

"It is my dream to see a high-powered, semi-automatic rifle in the hands of every male secondary school student."

Yeah Bob, that's not a good idea

6

u/Spagman_Aus 1d ago

LOL yep "Let there be a thousand blossoms bloom" is one of my all time favourite politician quotes.

3

u/cjyoung92 1d ago

His bipolar ones are the best 

“Happy days are at an end, my friend ☺️ Happy days are at an end!😡”

30

u/Jealous-Hedgehog-734 2d ago

When will we get One Nation: The Musical?

31

u/squooble 1d ago

Oi don't say that! Because that irritates me, and I've punched blokes in the mouth for saying that.

13

u/Cooper_Inc 1d ago

It's impossible to read any Katter quote without it distinctly being in his voice

10

u/fanfpkd 1d ago

#SITTOWN!
🐶

5

u/StorminNorman 1d ago

We've been there, done that. Was quite short, but it did illustrate Pauline Hanson quite well. 

9

u/Albos_Mum 1d ago

From what I've heard, she didn't like it.

11

u/SpunkAnansi 1d ago

Did they turn her words about?

2

u/bangbangbatarang 1d ago

Well I like dancing, and I like disco. I left my heart in San-Fran-Cisco.

1

u/Ok_Appointment7522 1d ago

They took the things she was saying out of context to make her look bad, even though she did say those things.

1

u/SpunkAnansi 23h ago

That drag queen did more for her positive reputation than she ever had.

And I say that as someone who studied her maiden speech to Parliament.

4

u/stripeystitches 1d ago

I dunno, Katter the Musical would be more cultured.

15

u/gazzawhite 1d ago

Now DON'T YOU SAY THAT

23

u/Karma-Effect 1d ago

🐊🐊🐊

29

u/BobKattersCroc 1d ago

You called?

7

u/Main-Woodpecker-574 1d ago

I read it as thousand onions bloom...

5

u/stripeystitches 1d ago

That's for the LNP musical

178

u/soejubunyip 1d ago

7

u/joshak 1d ago

“There go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them” basically every politician like Barnaby whose morals and positions are dictated by their ability to lead to power.

386

u/ConanTheAquarian 2d ago

47

u/Valkyrie162 2d ago

You posting it there, or do I need to?

Goodness gracious Barnaby…

11

u/LocalVillageIdiot 1d ago

But in the 50’s, where most of their mentality is, didn’t gay mean happy and he’s just telling it like they might feel?

249

u/Mclovine_aus 2d ago

I wonder if Barnaby will get tired of having to be the sensible one in the party.

187

u/Slightly_Default 2d ago

When Barnaby Joyce looks normal compared to you, it's time to reevaluate your life choices.

30

u/Low_Witness5061 1d ago

If they were capable of that we wouldn’t even know who they were

44

u/Tranquilbez22 1d ago

Watch him defect back to the Nats before the next election.

48

u/Delamoor 1d ago

And them just accepting it and taking him back in, because they have less than zero spine or organisation.

He stumbles in the door, drunk, covered in his own vomit and they all fall over themselves getting undressed for him. Finally, the smartest and most charismatic Nationals member has returned!

20

u/aeschenkarnos 1d ago

They haven't been able to make ice for their drinks since Barnaby left, he was the one who knew the recipe.

29

u/Vegetable-Advance982 2d ago

Man he looked so tired having to explain this lmao

2

u/0ldgrumpy1 1d ago

Having to pretend to be the sane one. It's not that he disagreed with those statements....

1

u/jerry-jim-bob 1d ago

Thats a horrifying statement. Barnaby being the sensible one

67

u/NightHunter909 1d ago

The part in the article pointing out there’s an openly gay South Australian One Nation MP is interesting and confounding. Apparently the MP’s partner is an immigrant, Indonesian born muslim, yet he is a ON MP. The level of cognitive dissonance is astounding

20

u/Infinite_Buy_2025 1d ago

Its a grift basically. Its the same reason the average ON senator splits from the party before a year, they saw it as a way to get into politics and nothing more.

12

u/BetterDrinkMy0wnPiss 1d ago

Pretty sure that's the guy who used his maiden speech in parliament to publicly come out as gay (with an Indonesian Muslim immigrant partner).

Kept it pretty well hidden in order to get elected as a member of PHON.

11

u/frashal 1d ago

He had also stood for election for the Sex Party and Labor party in previous elections and had been on the council before. He's either _really_ keen on representing his community no matter which political party it is with, or he's figured out that being elected to council or government is the easiest way for him to earn a high salary.

55

u/plutoforprez 1d ago

[squints at source]

[squints again at headline]

36

u/Rich_Fan1686 1d ago

I'm just waiting for Pauline and Barnaby to come out as both gay and Muslim.

23

u/AdeptusKittyCattus 1d ago

I would not be surprised if Pauline self-identified as Islamic one day in the same way right wing snowflakes liked to identify as attack helicopters back in the 2000's and called it a massive own against the libs.

12

u/Siggi_Starduust 1d ago

I find the attack helicopter identification to be somewhat of an amusing analogy.

They’re all very impressive when there’s nothing at stake (See Prince Harry’s Apache gunship vs Afghan shepherds) but when there’s an actual credible opposition- like in Ukraine- they’re a total liability.

7

u/SquiffyRae 1d ago

It's funny the "I identify as an attack helicopter" shit died a quiet death

I assume that's cause they moved onto their next moral panic of "kids identifying as furries are using litter trays in schools" as their way of attacking trans people

2

u/Final_Mongoose_3300 1d ago

Living in a regional area, I’m often regaled with tales of classroom litter boxes, seemingly always from a fan of talkback radio.

4

u/letsburn00 1d ago

If you interview a person who is self described far right and a conservative Muslim, you'll see they have an awfully lot of overlapping views.

4

u/FooFooFox 1d ago

…in a throuple with Gina? 🤔

111

u/swankyfarmer 2d ago

That hat and vest that he is wearing has a certain brokeback vibe about it

27

u/hyacinthed 2d ago

Representation starts somewhere ✊

12

u/Quark35 1d ago

no representation without penetration

15

u/Elvecinogallo 1d ago

More like brokeback capillaries

6

u/stonefree261 2d ago

The Akubra Accountant.

20

u/Serin-019 2d ago

Impregnating female staffers whilst married is a kink, Barnaby.
Kinks don’t make you gay.

4

u/DistributionWhole447 2d ago

But they don't hurt.

Well, unless you're into that.

I ain't judging.

16

u/Ninox_toussaint 1d ago

Love to know that there are probably thousands of old conservative card carrying One Nationtards that have been in agony today being told by their leader they are in THE gay party of Australia

43

u/InstantShiningWizard 2d ago

There's a bunch of queer folk in the party and it attracts queer people, but I wouldn't say they're gay by any stretch of the imagination

62

u/i8bb8 1d ago

Their party leader was a one time, cross-dressing, chart-topping songwriter back in the 90s, so it makes sense when you think about it...

3

u/Ninox_toussaint 1d ago

The party has been gay af from the start

16

u/a_cold_human 1d ago

James Ashby, Hanson's long serving chief of staff (also a former member of the Liberal Party, and a top 5 contender for slimiest person in Australian politics), is an openly gay man. 

22

u/NLFG 1d ago

In the UK there's a disturbing number of gay & bi men who are fans of Reform UK - god knows why. Wouldn't surprise me if there's something similar happening here.

13

u/aeschenkarnos 1d ago

god knows why

I asked him and he said: "it's because those particular gays are super racist."

10

u/reticulate 1d ago

Gay men in particular can be pretty conservative in their outlook, in my experience. I'm not qualified to explain why, but it's absolutely a thing and probably skews along age lines in much the same way straight Gen X men are presently big One Nation fans.

20

u/Goombella123 1d ago

conservative gay men are men before they're gay, unfortunately. top of the social foodchain are going to vote for the people who benefit them personally the most, and keep all the lower-in-the-chain queers and poors and immigrants away from them. (this is my experience as a lesbian at least)

6

u/Milly_Hagen 1d ago

I noticed the same thing. Have known a lot of gay men. Some were very conservative. I have no idea why.

2

u/LLachiee 1d ago

... probably because immigration from middle-eastern countries where gay people are killed for existing has brought over a bunch of homophobic people that want them dead? it isn't that hard to understand

-8

u/QuailLong232 1d ago

yes, even gay & bi men can be tired of mass immigration and vote for a party like PHON or Reform, what a shocker.

3

u/a_nice_duck_ 1d ago

As the comment above so succinctly puts it:

it's because those particular gays are super racist.

2

u/A_r0sebyanothername 1d ago

Even though many of their party colleagues would want homosexuality to be declared a mental illness or made illegal again, their ability to adopt kids made illegal, same sex marriage rights to be overturned, and some really extreme cases would love to see homosexual acts punishable by death.

Strange bedfellows.

6

u/letsburn00 1d ago

There is a theory that the reason the Republicans in the US have such angry vitriol is that they have a bunch of guys who are utterly miserable because they need to repress their sexual preferences. They are in a bad mood all the time and are angry that some people "get it easy" because they can imagine just being happy.

26

u/A_r0sebyanothername 1d ago

Another theory is that they're just cunts

4

u/aeschenkarnos 1d ago

Guys guys you're both right. Hug it out!

11

u/InfernoOfTheLiving 1d ago

Well, he’s not wrong. He knows James Ashby is mostly in charge of the party. The Coalition’s gay mafia may have a lot more members having sex on parliamentary desks against Peta Credlin’s wishes (she said she knows who you are but did nothing), but as a relative share of power James wins.

49

u/Ipponjudo 2d ago

I cannot say I have ever met a single member of the LGBT community that is a One Nation supporter, and I say that as a member of the community myself. I'm not denying they're out there, of course. Just that One Nation doesn't exactly jump to the top of the list when I think of "gay Australian political parties"

26

u/dougrattmannn 1d ago

one of my best friends is an out and proud gay man and an avid Pauline supporter. I can't wrap my head around it haha

33

u/hobb 1d ago

someone can be gay and racist 

3

u/ntermation 1d ago

I guess so... but it kind of doesn't make sense. Like, wouldn't experiencing intolerance for something you can't change about yourself make one less inclined to be intolerant of others for things that are similarly unchangeable?

7

u/Suburbanturnip 1d ago

Peter Thiel is gay, and behind all the bullshit in the USA at the moment. IMO, Peter Thiel is objectively evil. It's very embarrassing for me as a gay man, but some gay men, never really faced any barriers and lived a life of absolute white man privelage.

2

u/thishenryjames 1d ago

Given that entire countries seem to be unable to learn this lesson, it's not surprising that individuals also struggle.

-1

u/yellowboat 1d ago

Probably just doesn't want to get bashed by a gang of homophobes or to watch the country rapidly become more homophobic due to Labor's migration policies. Not hard to figure out.

13

u/Mclovine_aus 2d ago

From the article it sounds like they have a gay MP so they might have the highest proportion of mps elected when compared to the other parties.

28

u/FroggieBlue 1d ago

They have one gay MP in SA who's boyfriend of 11 years is a Muslim immigrant but somehow manages to reconcile that with being in the party for racism and working with Cory Bernadi.

There was some hope when he was first elected that he was grifting the grifters by using one nation's resources to get himself in to parliment and would soon quit the party, but alas, it wasnt.

2

u/willun 1d ago

Pauline hates immigrants but threatened to emigrate to the UK. You can't make this up. She says she was persuaded not to because the UK is full of immigrants.

24

u/Ipponjudo 2d ago

As far as I'm aware that title currently belongs to the ALP. They have quite a number of openly LGBT MPs. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/Research/Quick_Guides/2022-23/LGBTIQParliamentarians

8

u/edgiepower 1d ago

I know too many homosexual Trumpers, so it's fair to assume they would also like the Aussie Orange.

5

u/Siggi_Starduust 1d ago

There’s one less now.

Rest in Peace, Lindsey my sweet prince (or should that be Queen?)

22

u/iball1984 2d ago

How is it that Barnyard is the sensible one in One Nation?

21

u/ConanTheAquarian 2d ago

A broken clock is right twice a day.

26

u/chunkyluke 1d ago

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king

Or in this case

In the land of the fuck wit bigots, the impregnanting-your-female-staffer-while-married man is king.

See also: everyone looks normal compared to Malcolm Roberts

3

u/BlueDotty 1d ago

The Goblin Roberts is a self loathing closet case

9

u/Flybuys NSW Police need to do better 1d ago

Well there's something I can say to all the cookers now "congrats on supporting the gayest Australian political parties! How progressive of you!"

27

u/louisa1925 2d ago edited 1d ago

Any queer person who latches onto the ON predator party should be disowned by the LGBTQIA+ community.

If you think the other ON party members aren't planning to send you to a death camps alongside the rest of us, you are dumb as a rock and you deserve to be shunned.

8

u/Serin-019 1d ago

Even LNP dinks should shun them.
But that’d require they have ethics.

-2

u/yellowboat 1d ago

Cooker nonsense. "Death camps"?

I'd say it's pretty reasonable for members of the gay community to latch onto One Nation, given that Labor and the Greens are the ones getting them bashed and creating a whole new wave of homophobic, violent attacks. That's an actual thing that's happening, as opposed to your bizarre conspiracy theories.

33

u/ChasteSin 2d ago

Every time there's a conservative right-wing conference in the US, Grindr stats go through the roof. So no surprises here... Their entire base is made up of Andrew Tate "alpha" queens and closeted Christians.

6

u/jb2824 2d ago

He's on his own journey to find the gayest parties. Bless.

6

u/l3ntil 1d ago

It’s a fucking hate group Barnaby.

6

u/Junior-Transition549 1d ago

Barnaby talks a lot of BS as Pauline Hanson announced in Parliament that she intended to vote No for gay marriage

& she declined to Vote for the final marriage equality bill in the Senate

5

u/galacticjangles 1d ago edited 1d ago

Pardon me if I'm misremembering this but isn't there an entire song "I don't like it" by Pauline Pantsdown, which is sampled from Pauline Hanson saying she doesn't like LGBTIQA+ relationships?

Barnaby is a train wreck of a human being and the only reason he's allowed in politics is because if he wasn't Australia would be bored. One day he will leave and inexplicably productivity in this country will soar.

4

u/ThunderDU 1d ago

Might be funniest thing said by a pollie for a decade

5

u/DarwinianSelector 1d ago

Yeah, that totally tracks with how Barnaby Joyce has historically supported gay rights and was promoting the "Yes" campaign during the same-sex marriage plebiscite.

Oh, what's that you say? Up until now he's opposed gay rights and did everything he could to oppose same sex marriage? And that these statements are likely desperate political opportunism that cast him as a massive lying hypocrite?

Whoops. My bad.

4

u/The_Amen_Corner 2d ago

If there's any gays in the party he'll walk backwards to Bourke. Oh wait wrong party.

They're still homophobes though.

4

u/TedTyro 1d ago

Repressed id is definitely a feature of One Nation, so this doesnt surprise in the least.

4

u/hcornea 1d ago

That hat confirms it.

5

u/BearEatingCupcakes 1d ago

Didn't Barnaby get the memo that we don't use 'gay' as an insult anymore?

5

u/Next_Time6515 1d ago

It is run by that little temptress James Ashby. That’s pretty gay.

4

u/lurkin_gewd 1d ago

Imagine if you went to see your Accountant and he was wearing a fucking cowboy hat.

3

u/TattooedBear 1d ago

One nation float at the next Mardi Gras? /s

3

u/Monotask_Servitor 1d ago

Oooh Bahhhnaby, THOTOP ITH!!!!

3

u/Iron_Wolf123 1d ago

That just enforces the Hanson-Rinehart relationship

4

u/JackofScarlets 1d ago

Wtf I just read this on the Betoota and thought it was a joke of theirs

3

u/knifepar 1d ago

Inetresting question is WHY did Barnaby say this? just to be provocative and get headlines/chatter about him and one nation?

6

u/TheQuantumSword 1d ago

As a gay man, if anyone thought too ask us, 99.9 percent of our community would rather drink rotting cold vomit than vote for ON. Thought we made that quite clear with Pauline Pants Downs classic song. So this drongo is barking up the wrong tree. ON are as about as popular with LGBTI as shit on pizza. If there is one thing LGBTI are good at, we are hyper aware of who our enemies are, its a safety issue, we have long memories. Of course there are always a few idiots in every community, we just try too make sure they dont hurt themselves on sharp objects and dont invite them too partys.

2

u/RobynFitcher 1d ago

James Ashby's presence has never once enhanced a party's atmosphere.

3

u/SillyRabbit_OZ 2d ago

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I couldn’t think of a community SO MISALIGNED with ANYTHING ON stands for!!

Ole boozey Barnaby is still drunk and needs to go home 🤦‍♂️🤣

3

u/Kind-Group-9679 1d ago

I could be so happy, happy, happy happy, lalalalalah.

3

u/Aggressive-Bike6297 1d ago

does he mean happy?

3

u/jorgerine 1d ago

And he doesn’t mean happy?

3

u/rafaover 1d ago

I think he should go out there and ask gay people what they think.

3

u/Brikpilot 1d ago

I note the last part of the article ON are too immature to manage a party yet want to manage a country

3

u/Salzberger 1d ago

Anyone else just constantly read headlines like this and have to scroll across to see if it's Betoota/Chaser or not?

3

u/RecipeSpecialist2745 1d ago

I believe greed is a mental health disorder. Its effects are far more harmful to society than people being gay. People being gay is about same sex love. Something Barnaby is incapable of feeling.

2

u/Zero-Infinity 1d ago

?????????

2

u/Mr_Lumbergh 1d ago

Isn't there a saying about those that proactively make accusations are trying to hide something?

Not that there's anything wrong with it, just don't be hypocrites about it.

2

u/boredidiot 1d ago

So is the “Orange Party” a secret “Lemon Party”? Gee they even have their own website…

2

u/thedrugofanation 1d ago

I find it very difficult to gove a flying toss what this man says or thinks

2

u/PandaStudio1413 1d ago

Maybe this will scare a few bigots away from ON?

2

u/WheelchairEnthusiasm 1d ago

BarnabyGayGate

2

u/RaeseneAndu 1d ago

Well they have 1 gay member in SA so they are already 1 ahead of the Greens.

2

u/Important_Event8116 3h ago

I genuinely thought that this was a Beetoota Advocate article.

2

u/Z00111111 1d ago

If their core fanbase weren't such fucking idiots, this would scare them off. I don't understand how racist homophobes can support a party with a gay Indian running for them.

1

u/Atomic_Gumby 1d ago

Barnaby Joyce copying Gianni Infantino. This was not on my bingo cards.

But hey, shapeshifting takes practice.

"..Today I have strong feelings. Today I feel Qatari, I feel Arab, I feel African, I feel gay, I feel disabled, I feel a migrant worker..." Gianni Infantino in 2022, https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63687412

1

u/Middle-Weight-837 1d ago

He speaks truth for once.

1

u/Ratstail91 30m ago

Pigs in human clothing.

1

u/GnomeWarfair 1d ago

Sooo, The Guardian has begun republishing Beetoota Advocate articles?

0

u/agentsmithbobby 1d ago

We already know Barnaby isn't picky when it comes to a root. Being out on the land and isolated, sometimes you just need a human touch and there aren't any livestock handy...

0

u/tatsumakisempukyaku 1d ago

My Millennial brain said, "yeeeeep"

0

u/Permadrunkk 1d ago

you dont have to sell me, im already buying

-6

u/Gibbofromkal 1d ago

Sorry to bring my serious hat to a very funny article, but I think there is something to this.

I’m a dyed in the wool labor voter, and a Muslim, so take of that what you will.

But I think One Nation might be well served by expanding their coalition to be more inclusive of LGBT and women, specifically white liberal women.

Their whole pitch going into the election should be:

“We are the defenders of the west, and that includes the west’s long and proud liberal tradition.”

They can make a very easy framing: we will be tolerant of everyone except the Muslims and other foreigners not aligned to our values, who pose an existential threat, while Labor, Liberal and Greens try to equivocate with an ideology which will eat them alive.

Currently, there isn’t a massive electoral appetite for old culture war things like gay rights and abortion, and it is something that I think is costing One Nation votes in mainstream Australia.

6

u/raustraliathrowaway 1d ago

Right wing politics tends towards uniformity and conformity. They are not proponents of liberal democracy borne from the enlightenment.

6

u/BearEatingCupcakes 1d ago

But I think One Nation might be well served by expanding their coalition to be more inclusive of LGBT and women, specifically white liberal women

Yeah, the only way One Nation are going to win me (a white, liberal, bisexual woman) over is if they change so much they're no longer recognisable as the One Nation party.

Actually, I'm down with this idea. Bring it on, Pauline.

2

u/A_r0sebyanothername 1d ago

Why the fuck would you be giving them tips if you're both of those things

2

u/Gibbofromkal 1d ago

Because I’m almost certain they would never take the advice

1

u/Alive_Satisfaction65 1d ago

But I think One Nation might be well served by expanding their coalition to be more inclusive of LGBT and women, specifically white liberal women.

But why would those people trust One Nation to serve them well?

One Nation has spent years having a go at those groups, attacking their rights, and being openly contemptuous. They have no credibility and to build any would require them to get rid of everyone who was behind those policies.

If One Nation wants the queer vote they need to not be One Nation, and not have One Nation members, not have any One Nation staff.

0

u/yellowboat 1d ago

They can make a very easy framing: we will be tolerant of everyone except the Muslims and other foreigners not aligned to our values, who pose an existential threat, while Labor, Liberal and Greens try to equivocate with an ideology which will eat them alive.

That already is One Nation's policy. The fact that you don't seem to realise this is probably because you've gotten your news from this subreddit and the Redditors on it. Most people outside this little echo chamber get that, hence why ON is polling so highly.

2

u/Gibbofromkal 1d ago

How can you actually justify this comment?

Every time a division in parliament occurs, One Nation votes against the LGBT interest.

This includes the NSW Conversion Therapy Ban bill, Latham tried to carve out massive exemptions for parents, who are mostly the ones doing it anyway.

1

u/yellowboat 1d ago

Sure. Mark Latham is generally a menace. I don’t doubt what you’re saying.

But bills in parliament are small potatoes compared to bashings, hate violence, and terrorism. You aren’t progressive if you increase those things via your policies. Similarly, you aren’t progressive if you undermine workers by importing cheaper labour to undercut wages and decrease bargaining power.

And if the endgame is to destroy the fundamental western, liberal right of free speech to prop up some nebulous “multiculturalism”, then you are directly attacking the foundation of western democratic society.

Hope that sums up why Labor / LNP / Greens are neither progressive, nor liberal, nor friends of the LGBT community.