Liberal NSW Senate Hopeful Katherine Deves Grilled Over Her Anti-Trans Views
Image: TV host Sharri Markso and Katherine Deves.
Failed Liberal candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves’ political aspirations proved to be a non-starter on Sky News when she was questioned by host Sharri Markso about her “highly offensive” views.
Deves has put her hat in for the contest for the vacancy for the Liberal seat in the NSW Senate that was created following Senator Jim Molan’s death. Among the serious contenders are NSW Liberal Party President Maria Kovacic, former Minister Andrew Constance, former Liberal MP Fiona Scott, and former Labor President Warren Mundine.
Markso quizzed Deves about her qualification to replace the much loved Molan, given her controversial views.
Offended Trans Children And Parents
“Katherine, you have offended transgender children and their parents. You’ve had to apologise to the Jewish community, you even had to visit the Sydney Holocaust Museum after making Nazi comparisons. What on Earth makes you think you would be the best person to replace the highly respected and much loved Senator Jim Molan?”
Deves responded that she was a “strong conservative woman” and aligned with the late Molan’s values around free speech. She then incredulously claimed that she was “incredibly honoured to be invited as a guest (of the Holocaust Museum) and I saw that opportunity it was an incredibly moving and memorable experience for me.”
Markso however called Deves’ bluff. “This opportunity (to visit the Holocaust museum) only came up because you had tweeted something so offensive that you had to delete it,” Markso reminded Deves.
“I think there’s a difference between having free speech, believing in free speech… between being conservative and being so highly offensive that you have to go visit the Jewish Holocaust Museum. It’s something Jim Molan would never have had to do. Yes, he believed in free speech, but he didn’t offend the community so deeply as you have done,” said Markso.
A History Of Offending People
Having failed in her attempt to rewrite history, Deves then ranted against “fascist regimes” and “deeply authoritarian socialist ideologies that are infiltrating our societies”.
“I agree with you that it was highly inappropriate to invoke the Third Reich as an analogy, and I’m very grateful to the Jewish community for giving me the opportunity to understand that that was wrong and people do it all the time. I’m not excusing myself but I have learned that that was absolutely the wrong thing to do. And I showed contrition and I apologized,” Deves said.
Markso continued to grill Deves. “What makes you think you would be the best person to replace Jim Molan, representing the whole of New South Wales. Because he did have a New South Wales Senate spot. Given your divisive views even if you never say anything deeply offensive again, you still do have divisive views when it comes to transgenders. You’ve said that half of transgenders are sex offenders, and you have had to apologise for it in the midst of the elections.”
Deves Deleted Anti-LGBTQI Tweets Before 2022 Elections
Devs claimed she was misrepresented in the media. “I don’t see what is divisive about saying that men cannot be women and that in certain circumstances, biological sex matters, and that women and girls have the right to privacy, dignity and safety,” said Deves.
Markso however had the last word. “A lot of people believe that, and (they) stand up for women’s rights without going that step further and offending people.”
Deves, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s “captain’s pick candidate” had faced backlash after her past tweets and blog posts surfaced before the 2022 federal elections.
Deves said trans children were “surgically mutilated”, compared support for trans children to the “stolen generation” and likened her opposition to what she called “gender ideology” to the anti-Nazi resistance. Deves also described surrogacy for gay couples as “a human rights violation” and “a vanity project”.
After losing the elections, Deves told SBS Insights that she would never again apologise for her anti-LGBTQI views if given another chance.
Just another opportunist in the fine MAGA tradition of always punch down..
What an appalling person is Katherine Deves? Free speech, she forgets Free Speech comes with Responsibilities, that you Do Not Denigrate other people while making your point, and she has done both to the Jewish Community and to the GLBTQI+ Community, and even though I live here in Queensland, I hope we don’t have anyone as bad as that Representing in our State Parliament, although Pauline Hanson is bad enough without another Katherine Deves at the helm.
I think this Deeves lady is Australias version of Ron Desantis. If she was let into a position of power she would de everything she could to hurt others. Definately a far right crazy person, fueled by hatered that is bubbling under the surface of her politics persona.
Australia says NO!