Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt accused of ‘hijacking’ ABC radio interview
AN AUSTRALIAN politician has been slammed for hijacking a “cringeworthy” interview on gay conversion therapy and free speech.
FEDERAL Health Minister Greg Hunt is under fire after a radio interview took a very bizarre turn.
Mr Hunt was speaking with ABC Radio National presenter Patricia Karvelas this week when she asked him about Victorian Liberal members’ plans to debate gay conversion therapy.
The proposal ended up being pulled from the agenda by state president Michael Kroger following significant public backlash.
But while Mr Hunt told Ms Karvelas he did not personally support the controversial practice, he refused to admit he was alarmed by the proposed motion to discuss it.
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He then repeatedly grilled the respected journalist about “free speech” in what became an increasingly tense exchange.
“Look, it’s not something I support, it’s not federal government policy, it’s not going to be federal government policy and we’re not about to change our position on that,” Mr Hunt said of conversion therapy, before adding: “people are entitled to have different views, views that I disagree with.
“What I do worry about is this constant view that nobody is anywhere allowed to have a different view. As a journalist, I would hope you would believe in freedom of speech.”
Mr Hunt then turned the tables by asking Ms Karvelas if she supported freedom of speech before repeatedly asking her to define it on air.
Here is the full unedited interview with Greg Hunt #auspol https://t.co/I8zM1oIJUK
— PatriciaKarvelas (@PatsKarvelas) April 17, 2018
He then asked her if she was “afraid to stand up for freedom of speech” and said it was “disappointing” she had not provided a definition.
“You asked questions that you want to present as a game but this is a real discussion about freedom of speech and this was your chance — and I hope you run this in full,” he said.
Ms Karvelas again said she believed in freedom of speech but that she also thought gay conversion therapy “had devastating results for people”.
Despite the interview still being on air, Mr Hunt bizarrely accused Ms Karvelas of not confirming she believed in the concept of freedom of speech while the program was live.
She replied by saying: “We’re on air right now — I do plan to run this,” before adding it was “extraordinary” the health minister had “tried to turn around the interview and hijack it”.
“I am surprised it took an extraordinary amount of time for you to acknowledge you actually believe in freedom of speech,” Mr Hunt replied before the interview ended.
Cringeworthy https://t.co/WuktenwgQT
— David Donaldson (@davidadonaldson) April 17, 2018
The “trainwreck” interview has been roundly criticised on Twitter, with many users questioning the Liberal minister’s “bizarre” behaviour.
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