Eden-Monaro by-election: Ad attacks Labor candidate
Labor’s candidate for Eden-Monaro has been attacked over her position on the scrapped Safe Schools program.
Labor’s candidate for Eden-Monaro Kristy McBain faces a social media attack campaign over her position on the now scrapped Safe Schools program aimed at teaching children about gender diversity.
The campaign is being driven by Binary — a group with 45,000 members that argues gender is male or female. Spokeswoman Kirralie Smith said voters should be informed about who they are voting for.
Labor has called on Liberal candidate Fiona Kotvojs to distance herself from the ads.
Ms McBain became the Bega mayor in September 2016 and, in December of that year voted for a motion of support for the Safe Schools Program that passed by five votes to four. A motion to strike out the vote was dealt with in January 2017 following the objections of a group of councillors and a more generic anti-bullying motion was put up as a compromise.
Safe Schools was designed to help teachers and students deal with homophobia and transphobia but was criticised for promoting sexual diversity and gender fluidity. Federal funding for the program was withdrawn in mid-2017 and NSW announced it was moving away from the scheme. Ms Smith, who does not live in Eden-Monaro, said she was getting involved because she wanted to apply more scrutiny to political candidates’ views on gender issues. She said the Safe Schools program “sets up ideology in opposition to biology and we are seeing the consequences of that right around the world”.
The ad says Ms McBain “voted for radical sex and gender programs in schools, teaching kids that they can chose their own gender”.
Ms McBain’s office declined to comment but NSW Labor senator Tim Ayres said it was a “nasty campaign with no foundation whatsoever”.
“It is a desperate attempt to sway voters. Fiona Kotvojs and the Liberals must make it clear that they condemn it,” Senator Ayres said.
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