Administrative Appeals Tribunal invited gay rights activist Benjamin Law to conference

THE Administrative Appeals Tribunal invited controversial gay rights activist Benjamin Law — who once threatened to “hate f... anti-gay MPs” — to be its main speaker at its national conference on the Sunshine Coast.

THE gay rights activist who threatened to “hate f... anti-gay MPs” was invited to speak at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal’s lavish Sunshine Coast conference.

Journalist and author Benjamin Law accepted and was listed on the AAT’s national conference program as the speaker at next Tuesday’s formal dinner.

Benjamin Law was invited to speak at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal’s national conference despite his offensive tweets. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

Taxpayers are being hit with a $500,000 bill to send almost 300 AAT members and staff to be wined and dined at the luxury Novotel Twin Waters resort for three days.

The AAT is the federal review body that the Herald Sun recently revealed had saved scores of criminals from deportation since 2010, including eight killers, 66 other violent thugs, 17 sex creeps, 23 armed robbers and 33 drug dealers.

Controversially, the AAT booked Mr Law to be its guest speaker at next week’s conference.

He is the gay rights activist who sent out a disgusting tweet before last year’s same-sex marriage vote which said: “Sometimes find myself wondering if I’d hate f... all the anti-gay MPs in Parliament if it meant they got the homophobia out of their systems”.

Benjamin Law's tweet.

One of his 80,000 followers then tweeted “start with Hastie”, a reference to traditional marriage supporter and West Australian Liberal MP Andrew Hastie.

Mr Law replied with the tweet: “Sighs heavily, unzips pants.”

When various politicians criticised Mr Law’s August 30, 2017 “hate f... anti-gay MPs” tweet, he defended it by claiming he was not talking about rape.

“Hate f...ing is a Gen Y term: consensual sex with someone disagreeable,” he said.

An AAT insider, horrified at the AAT’s choice of speaker, yesterday said Mr Law was clearly advocating rape “as the MPs he tweeted about obviously wouldn’t consent to him hate f....ng them and rape is not something to be joked about on Twitter”.

The Herald Sun asked the AAT on May 3 what the topic of Mr Law’s dinner speech was going to be.

The AAT’s reply: “Benjamin Law is not speaking at or attending the conference.”

As Mr Law’s speaking engagement was cancelled after the conference program listed him was printed and sent to AAT members, the Herald Sun then asked the AAT later on May 3 when and why Mr Law’s speech was cancelled.

The tribunal did not respond.

The Herald Sun then contacted Mr Law and asked him for comment on his AAT speaking engagement.

He said he was not in a position to answer the questions, saying: “Speaking Out is my speakers agency and they’d be happy to speak with you if needed.”

The Herald Sun then contacted the Speaking Out agency and its spokeswoman refused to comment.

Almost 300 AAT members and staff are attending a lavish talk fest at the Novotel Twin Waters Resort, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

All 304 AAT members were invited to the organisation’s biennial conference on the Sunshine Coast and 218 of them have so far accepted, as have 65 senior or specialist AAT staff.

Taxpayers will foot the bill for the cost of their flights, accommodation, food, alcohol and other drinks during the midweek talkfest on May 28, 29 and 30.

They will almost fill the 361-room Novotel Twin Waters resort, which has a private saltwater lagoon and is a short walk from the surf beach.