ALP official says same-sex marriage “not normal,” urges Christians to join Party
A senior ALP official who helped Kevin Rudd to power in 2007 has described same-sex marriage as “not normal” and urged conservative Christian voters to join the ALP to undermine its support of marriage equality.
A video has emerged of ALP official Damian Power speaking at a 2012 Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) conference in Queensland. In the video Power details his history in the party, including serving as the state treasurer of the Queensland ALP and the local coordinator of the Kevin 07 campaign, as well as describing the party’s support for same-sex marriage as a sign of corruption.
“We have allowed the culture of the party to become dominated by a progressive, inner-urban, Left perspective. Most Australians value normal things. ‘Normal things’ is not same-sex marriage,” Power says in the video.
A self-described “party machinery person,” Power urged same-sex marriage opponents to engage with the ALP in order to propagate their views, boasting of having helped defeat an amendment at the 2011 ALP National Conference that would have compelled Labor MPs to vote in favour of same-sex marriage.
“There were senior members of the Party who I spoke to that morning who said, ‘we’ve got to stand for something’,” Power said.
“Don’t think that the ALP has walked away from accepting a Christian view of the world, of life – Christ’s message…There are people in the ALP – parts, branches, MPs, elected officials – who are worth supporting… not everyone in the Party is corrupted.”
In particular, Power described ALP Senate President John Hogg as “key to the battle against same-sex marriage,” noting that at the time Hogg was the ALP’s leading Senate candidate in Queensland.
Hogg announced in April last year that he would not contest the upcoming federal election. However, the top spot on the ALP Queensland ticket is now being filled by Chris Ketter, the current secretary of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA), a union known for its hardline stance against same-sex marriage and other social issues like abortion and euthanasia.
Power encouraged the room of ACL-inclined voters to join the ALP in order to fight the “aggressive, violently secular, Green forces” he sees as infiltrating the party, comparing such forces to the former Australian Communist Party.
“Come and see me, join the ALP. Help me stack a branch or three – that’s an offer by the way,” Power said to laughter.
The Prime Minister’s sister Loree Rudd, who is on record urging her brother to enact laws similar to Vladimir Putin’s recent anti-gay laws, also appeared at the conference.
“God wanted me to be involved in the Labor Party…If the good guys give up, the bad guys win,” Power said.
Watch the video here:
[vimeo id=”47140558″ width=”620″ height=”360″]
Hey there! I know this is kinda off topic however , I’d figerud I’d ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa? My website discusses a lot of the same topics as yours and I feel we could greatly benefit from each other. If you are interested feel free to send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you! Terrific blog by the way!
I’m not particularly happy with the ALP over this, and I daresay that neither the British or New Zealand Labour Parties are, either. It’s mired in backwardness insofar as appeals to conservative Catholic and fundamentalist voters go, and this has to stop. Neither are natural constituencies for the centre-left and it’s time that the ALP faced this. Gillard hasn’t, Rudd has.
And Rudd would not have lifted his little *pinkie* towards Marriage Equality either .. BUT .. Realising that Labor had No Chance on keeping Government .. He Suddenly had an Epiphany .. against his earlier beliefs .. and went for the *Pink* vote !! Betcha the Libs bring it on after the election .. either with Abbott or Turnbull .. If this does happen .. I will have a hell of a lot more respect for the Libs because they didn’t Suck up to us for their own agenda
Why can’t we just fight for legally recognised “Civil Unions” with no word of “Marriage” in the mention?
With 70% of heterosexual marriages now being taken outside of Religious Ceromonys,yes OUTDIDE and performed be a Celebrantin Australia,what does a Civil Union have to do with a Religious Organisation.
When communism swept Europe and Churches were turned into museums how did couple tie the not for example? In Government Civil Unions,for over 70 years,millions of people,and not a priest in sight.
Thanks
Thank goodness for the Green! If youre in NSw we absolutely must vote for Cate so the Greens are fighting for us passionately for marriage equality
I dont profess to know the details however – There is a LOT of evidence – from MULTIPLE sources – that suggest that Julia Gillard was the organiser of the deposing of Rudd. That the party Begged her to do it and she was unwilling untill quite late (the day before) to even consider it.
So whoever made that deal with the ACL – I dont think the evidence fits that it was Julia. I would suggest it was likely the group that brokered the deal to decide on Julia – and we dont have all the facts on that. BUT she was begged to do it to save the party – and she resisted till she was convinced that the party was so dysfunctional there was no other choice (at least – the several accounts Ive all read all agree on this – from both caucus members and independant (non Murdoch) Journo’s. For what its worth – it fits with those I know who have personally met Julia.
Knowing these oily party machinery types I imagine that Damian Power was trying to get the Christian lobby onside so that the ALP could do some sort of preference deal with the parties like Family First and Australian Christians that represent the members of the ACL. Even if it’s only a couple of percent of the vote that often decides close elections. It was probably just good luck that he found a forum where he could express his true hate views.
Just what is it with these people? This type of thinking and behaviour may have been accepted in the 1950’s but those dark days are well behind us. Trying to achieve equality is still a struggle, but we are on the way. Dinosaurs like Power however seem to think they are some type of modern day crusader whose holy mission in life is to hold us back. But I hate to tell him you can’t hold back the tide.
The bit I love in the video is where he says he represents Christ’s views. As a committed Christian I find that laughable, as Jesus taught a message of compassion and peace, and there is not a single reference in the Gospels to hate – the message was love.
If Kevin Rudd is serious about his support for marriage rights he needs to expel people like this from the labor party. That would send a real message.
Brenton, Julia Gillard was the instrument of backroom deals with the hardline Catholic Right of her own Party, not the Aust Christian Lobby which is a Protestant fringe group. Sure, she turned up to ACL meetings and parroted the Party line, but her stance was forced by Labor powerbroker and past SDA union official Senator Don Farrell when she became leader, with the SDA’s vile Joe De Bruyn cheering from the sidelines.
Never heard of Don Farrell? He’d be pleased. He’s truly one of the Party’s faceless men and he likes it that way. He’s also a stooge for the Vatican on nearly every medieval pronouncement it makes about sex and gender. He is effective within Labor partly because he never talks about his religion, instead couching his prejudices in secular language and cleverly working behind the scenes.
Damian Power’s call for more fundamentalist Christians to join the Party is desperate and will have little effect. But the toxic influence of the SDA on Labor social policy continues, and will be around for some time yet. Blame Bob Hawke – he re-admitted the SDA Union back into the Labor fold in the early 80’s, following the union’s long spell in the wilderness following that Catholic nutjob Bob Santamaria and the Democratic Labor Party (DLP).
There are also many, many in the party who are NOT like this. Anyone can join and have their opinions heard, it doesn’t mean they are successful. Rainbow Labor is very strong and has enormous support and has been responsible for a great many legislative changes around the country.
There are MANY, MANY in the ALP like this! Just remember HOW GILLARD totally destroyed ANY chance of Marriage Equality with her anti-marriage stance and Christian Lobby buddies!
What totally destroyed any change of marriage equality was Mr Howard’s ammendment of the marriage act in 2004.. Ms Gillard said she didn’t agree with marriage equality but opened it up to a conscience vote which is something the other side WONT do while Mr Abbott is the Opposition Leader..
It’s worfundel to have you on our side, haha!