Gaynor resigns from KAP

Controversial former Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) candidate Bernard Gaynor has resigned his party membership.

Just a week ago, Gaynor managed to retain his membership following a KAP national executive meeting which discussed his suspension for making anti-gay comments on his Twitter account in January.

“I have today resigned from Katter’s Australian Party because its leadership has failed to live up to the values of the party,” Gaynor wrote on his website just after noon today.

He said Bob Katter’s lack of a position on abortion was one of the main reasons for his resignation.

“By [Katter’s] silence, he has become part of the abortion problem… His actions support the culture of death, rather than oppose it.”

Gaynor also said that Katter has a “serious problem” with many of its federal election candidates privately supporting gay marriage or civil unions.

“He is stuck with a senate team campaigning for gay marriage under his family name,” he wrote.

“Bob Katter is now a different politician than the one who declared his support for the institution of marriage two years ago.”

Following the party’s decision not to terminate his membership last Friday, Gaynor took to Twitter to express his delight at its stance.

“KAP’s decision not 2 terminate m’ship today acknowledges suspension was mistake & party backs parents rights 2 object 2 gay teachers,” he wrote.

“Also sends very strong message KAP remains committed to marriage as a union between man & woman. Thank God for this victory.”

Gaynor was suspended from the party last month when he defended homophobic comments made by Victorian KAP candidate Tess Corbett, who linked homosexuality to paedophilia and said she didn’t want “gays, lesbians to be working [in] kindergarten”.

“I wouldn’t let a gay person teach my children and I am not afraid to say it,” Gaynor said at the time.

You can read Gaynor’s full resignation letter here.