Gay Liberals want your vote

Gay Liberals want your vote

The Liberals have selected two openly gay candidates for the NSW State Election.

Mortgage consultant Adrian Bartels, 33, is standing in the seat of Sydney, while Bruce Notley-Smith, 46, a former Randwick Mayor and Randwick councillor, is running in Coogee.

Notley-Smith told Star Observer that having an openly gay MP in the parliament could only be of benefit to the GLBT community.

“Having someone who identifies with the community and understands the issues that they confront can only be a positive thing,” said Notley-Smith.

Notley-Smith said he would like to see increased resourcing to combat homophobic bullying and an end to anti-discrimination exemptions that allow religious owned businesses to discriminate against GLBT people.

“I’d like to see all exemptions removed,” said Notley-Smith, “There should be no discrimination on the basis of sexuality – in no way does your sexuality effect your suitability to perform any task in this society.”

Notley-Smith said he didn’t think marriage was the panacea for all couples, but it was what most people in society aspired to and same-sex couples should have the right.

Ardian Bartels told the Star Observer that equality was not a relative term.

“Either one is equal or one is not,” Bartels said.

“Australia used to lead the world when it comes to progressive social changes and in Government I would always champion the removal of discriminatory laws.”

In that context he was a supporter of same-sex marriage and for ending anti-discrimination exemptions in NSW law that effected GLBT people.

Bartels said he remembered the 2000 Olympics as the highpoint for Sydney but that things had gone downhill since then.

“There was an incredible spirit of ownership, of cooperation, of participation and belonging. We desperately need to recapture that enthusiasm and can-do attitude to make the transport system work, the health system heal, the education system inspire and put the ‘open for business’ sign up again.”

Bartels said that he was strongly opposed to what he said were plans by Clover Moore to gradually shut down Sydney’s nightlife.
“Pubs and clubs are a vital place for us to meet and socialise and celebrate what is wonderful about being gay and living in a great city,” said Bartels.

“Clover’s only solutions to the problems of alcohol and violence are all negative. What we need is a management plan – look at New Years Eve when you have a million people around the harbour. There’s uniformed police, there’s coordinated transport, emergency services, everyone has a great time and in relation to the number of people, it’s done safely.”

Both candidates named public transport, infrastructure and the scrapping of Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (under which the Government can take over the approval process for projects it deems of state significance) as priorities for the Liberals in Government.

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30 responses to “Gay Liberals want your vote”

  1. Any LGBTQQH who is remotely intelligent and political would not have voted for the Liberals, let alone represented them. But then, the Oxford Street gay scene is the most sexist, racist and ageist environment in Sydney. Those who live around there would have voted with their dicks rather then their heads. What better way to get votes and win than wheeling out a pretty young(ish) gay white boy? The Labor and the Greens should learn from the Liberals. Go gay Liberals! They can take me up the a-hole anytime.

  2. Hi Adrian,

    What’s your view on the Liberal Party in NSW giving its second preference to Fred Nile’s anti-gay Christian Democrats?

    Is this something you endorse?

  3. Main platform: “Keep Our Clubs Open”!! How bizarre. What a vision! And they’re both members of what is clearly the Nasty Party

  4. Good that you’re willing to anser criticiasms, Adrian.

    “I share a lot of the anger at the power of the Christian lobby to stymie reasoned debate and progress on a number of issues. The question for me as always been “what can I do about it?”

    Well you can be a lot more vocal about your opposition to Christain bigotry. How about a media release? How about a guarantee that the Lieberals will not do any deals with Fred Nile’s party in the Upper House. That’s what I’d like to see, because there’s a good chance that a Liberal/National government will be seeking the support of the “Christian” “Democrats” (malicious totalitarianists more like it) in the upper house to get their legislation through.

  5. Senator for the US Larry Craig perhaps – that what the Liberal party is about (Just like their US Republican counterparts)!!!!!

  6. It really annoys me when folks slag off Penny Wong. And I say that as someone who is a LGBTI & ssm activist. She has been working fr LGBTI issues for twenty years. She (and others ) has been moving the ALP forward on this issue -there are a lot of social conservatives in the ALP. She has to stick with the party line but she is close to changing it. Who do you think got us the ss relationship reforms in the last Parliament? Sure her stupid ly chosen words recently made me fume – but she is in a very difficult position- and we need here to to stay in cabinet folks.

  7. No way no how will I ever vote for a major party again. Isnt it wonderful when they want something they promise the world but they never deliver. Never, never again!

  8. I’ve been on the electoral roll since 1978. I have never voted Liberal, I just can’t bring myself to support the conservative side of politics irrespective of the specific issues.
    With regard to marriage, I oppose it as it’s one of societies most conservative institutions.
    Am I the only consistent person in this debate?

  9. Adrian Bartels…lets be frank and honest here – you are never going to beat Clover Moore and take the State seat of Sydney in March 2011. I don’t believe the Liberal Party will again take the seat of Sydney in my lifetime. my advice to you ( for what it is worth ) is get out of that dirty party with which you are so alligned and are a candidate for – it is smeared with the blood and tears of your gay brothers and sisters.If you want to serve and make a difference stand as an Independent.

  10. Choice?

    It is a bit like the car I am selling you belonged to an old lady! Well let us look under the hood of that car. What have we really got?

    What choice does a little boy or girl have, to not be called an abomination in religious instructions? That is what most children like us are taught. I watched Compass recently and an Australian Christian Lobby member was featured talking about religious instruction, Marriage is between a man and women only she said. She spoke of Gods plan. She is a religious instruction teacher.

    What choice do we have not have our schools and taxes used to fund homophobic instructions? What choice does the little boy or girl have to be free from Liberal Party sanctioned homophobia?

    You tell me the car was driven once a week by a little old lady, but I do not believe you. The reality is very different. To call homophobia instructions choice is beyond comprehension.

    Mouth off? Well we have every right to question the actions of the Liberal Party, and the Australian Christian Lobby. Attend a few coronial inquests and you might think differently about the choice a little boy or girl has to be free from gay bashers and bullies. It is all a matter of perspective I guess, choice.

  11. Liberal/Nationals have been in opposition in all of the states and territories for last decade, and 15-years in NSW. Oppositions do not introduce legislation. What they have done is allow conscience votes on these issues and the votes have shown that some members support it, and some do not. All I am saying is that progress will be easier when there are more members to vote for such legislation.
    And federally we had John Howard. It is no secret that he was not a gay rights activist. But that underlines the point I am trying to make. I am not trying to hold the Liberal Party up as the party of gay rights. I am saying that gay rights is a complex issue for both the major parties, with progressives and social conservatives in both. If you want to balance the ledger with more progressives, vote them in.

  12. Adrian Bartels ..you state as a justification for being a ‘gay liberal’ your desire to occupy a progressive seat at the table of a Liberal government. In light of this statement can you please share with us any legislation INTRODUCED by successive liberal /national governments over the last 20 years (state or federal )that has advanced the civil rights of Gay and Lesbian Australians?
    I await with interest your reply

  13. I share a lot of the anger at the power of the Christian lobby to stymie reasoned debate and progress on a number of issues. The question for me as always been “what can I do about it?”

    I can sit on a blog and anonymously mouth off at people, or I can get in there and try to do something about it.

    I agree that the Greens and Clover have done much to put progressive issues on the agenda but, rightly or wrongly, I also believe that these issues are not “fringe” and should be dealt with in the major parties – in the mainstream. That is why I am a candidate for the Liberal Party.

    Personally, I don’t think the way to eradicate homophobic or other types of hate is to shout down or attack the reputation of others. Hate is not overcome by more hate.

    Regarding ethics as an alternative to SRE, here is a copy of my letter, printed in the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday:

    “It was wonderful to hear the three religious representatives on the “against” panel at the IQ2 debate arguing so fervently in favour of ethics classes (”Most back study of ethics as an alternative to religion, believe it or not”, November 18). Teaching ethics is so valuable, they argue, that it should be available to all students, and providing such classes at a time when other students are in SRE would be an “injustice”.

    The churches have been advocating ethics classes in schools only since the ethics trials were proposed. This makes their argument disingenuous. They say ethics is so valuable it cannot be offered as an alternative to SRE, but that knitting for Africa, reading or almost anything else can. If ethics is so valuable, why don’t they weave it into their SRE classes? I support children and their families being able to make a choice.

    Adrian Bartels Liberal candidate for Sydney, Kings Cross”

  14. Now here is the aspiring Liberal Party candidates chance to put a media release out condemning the Liberal Party policy to force homophobia onto every child. To attack the Australian Christian Lobby for wanting to control the way we interact with the community and do business. No? Well what are doing love going supporting a political party that supports homophobia?

    Having had my first great love bashed to death, I have and others are very interested in stopping any homophobia. What will you do to declare war on the Australian Christian Lobby? What legislation will you put up stopping haters of us? What will you do to drop the homophobic religious instructions?

    Nothing? But what about all this? At what point to you stand up for what is right and just? What are your limits? I am reminded of the charm of a used car salesman.

    Media Release

    The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) today congratulated the NSW Opposition for making a stand to protect Special Religious Education Classes (SRE).

    ACL’s NSW Director David Hutt welcomed the announcement by the NSW Opposition that they will scrap the St James Ethics Centre’s secular ethics classes if they win the March 2011 state election.

    ACL is a grass roots lobby group which aims to see Christian principles and ethics accepted and influencing the way we are governed, do business and relate to each other as a community. In short, ACL seeks to foster a more just, compassionate and moral society.

  15. To the WOMD. Weapon Of Mass Distraction. Or gay liberal candidates (technical name).

    “Every party is a coalition of its members, and policy is formulated through a contest of ideas”.

    This is not a justification to vote against the rights of people in the GLBTI community. How about bringing your own bills up, to end discrimination? Better still, tell us what they are now before we vote. Not just talk, action. What legislation and in what time frame?

    It is the work of a coward to deny the role of the Greens in getting great media discussions on GLBTQI rights. And what of great people like Clover Moore? Are these good people on the outside? Well what an impact they have had!

    I am enjoying the eloquence of the Same-Sex marriage debate in exposing the many areas of discrimination GLBTQI people suffer. Are you going to attack those in the Liberal Party that openly vilify us in this “contest of ideas”? I thought not.

    What will you say to Liberals who tell malicious lies about us? Perhaps you can start by attacking Tony Abbott for his offensive oppression of good and decent people. Please do tell. We are waiting for a real debate within the Liberal Party. You could start by questioning Tony Abbott seeing George Pell every week and the damage this does to the Liberal Party. Perhaps an expectation that Church should not decide equality policy is too much to ask from a WOMD.

    We vote for good policy, not just because someone is gay community. How offensive to assume this. Where is the legislation you are going to put up?

  16. This was not the first time a gay adoption bill had been introduced to NSW Parliament, but it was the first time such a bill was successful. It was successful because individuals within both major parties supported it, including both the leader and deputy leader of the NSW Liberal Party, and many other members.

    Marriage equality and the removal of discriminatory laws will not succeed unless there are individuals within the major parties that are prepared to support them.

  17. Adrian Bartels..where is your integrity? Why would you and any other gay or lesbian person align themselves with a party that has and continues to discriminate against us ? As for your statement re . a progressive person with a seat at the table in government as apposed to a progressive independent- absolute hogwash ! Clover Moore as an independent has done more in Parliment to progress our rights and advance our causes than any other person in the history of NSW…eg.
    anti – vilification legislation , financial support for Mardi Gras , support and invovement in the parade for 25 YEARS !recent passage of a bill introduced by her to allow us to adopt children ,unequivicol support for gay marriage etc…I suggest you acknowledge this and show her the respect she so richly deserves.

  18. Every party is a coalition of its members, and policy is formulated through a contest of ideas.

    There is a good chance NSW will have a Liberal Government next year. If you want the Liberals to be more progressive then you need to elect progressive candidates.

    A progressive person, with a seat at the table in government, will effect more positive social change than a Green or independent sitting on the outside.

    And, for the record, the article clearly states that I support gay marriage.

    If you want to know why I am a Liberal, check out my “Adrian Bartels for Sydney” facebook page.

    Adrian Bartels
    Liberal Candidate for Sydney

  19. Great views by Adrian Bartels, but he is likely to be a very lonly voice if elected. The Liberal party is full of homophobes and bible-bashers. This mornings SMH quotes O’Farrell as saying he will cut Ethics classes in public schools because they compete with “religious” education. Says it all really. Bigotry over human rights.

  20. I’m a Greens voter. When I bemoan the ALP to friends in the ALP who are Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual (I don’t know any trans ALP voters), they always tell me that they are trying to change the views of those on the inside.

    It seems silly to me to discount these two for attempting the same.

    Currently, the Greens are the only party with a decent policy on equality, but I’m sure we all hope for the day when the ALP and Liberals join the party. It will take people like Bruce and Adrian to change their party’s mind, as well as the views of the community at large.

    And equality arguments aside – seeing as how there’s a 99.99% chance the Liberals will win in March, surely it would be good to have some of our voices in the chamber? I hope the Greens win some seats too – but let’s be realistic here. Bruce Notley-Smith is challenging a sitting ALP member that has done nothing for his local community, except turn up to envelope openings. I hope that come March, people strongly consider voting 1 Green and 2 Liberal.

  21. Hey, I’ve got an idea! You two gay boys go and change the Liberal Party from within, and THEN when they are prepared to support AND vote for same sex marriage, THEN I will vote for them!

    In the meantime, I am thankful I have Clover and the Greens to vote for instead.

  22. Where were these two great champions of LGBTI equality when the Greens were trying to remove exemptions from the NSW anti-discrimination act? Labor and Liberal have consistently defended the “right” of religious organisations and small businesses to discriminate on the basis of sexuality.

  23. Two words for starters- Penny Wong.
    No way in hell should we accept voting Liberal whilever they are turning into a virtual “Hillsong” party pulling the strings. They are getting more & more religious control every week (state and federal).
    Having said that, I know there are MANY gays & lesbians who vote Liberal for economic management reasons (sad I know, but there are lots out there). These people should start to vote 1 Greens, and 2 Liberal (to form a Liberal government), but they should never vote 1 Liberal. Or better yet, don’t vote Liberal at all.

    How could anyone vote for a party who advocated women not having the vote, or Aboriginals being banned from marrying whites?? Would you still vote Liberal if that were the case?? The Liberals need to be punished at the ballot box- times have changed, and civil marriage equality is now a major international human rights issue. We now know better… even Portual & Spain have equal civil marriage now… but the Liberals still have thier head in the sandpit of evangelical puppet masters such as Hillsong.

  24. These Liberal candidates are advocating against Same-Sex marriage. I am not sure being used as a weapon against us is the greatest use of a vote, in the same way Penny Wong is used to stop us getting any protection in the Federal Equal Opportunity Act let alone Same-Sex Marriage.

    We do not vote gay or lesbian, most of us vote for good policies of political parties. The Liberals are not offering to change anything should they win government. There friends in the National Party are saying we do exist, they have no real policy.

  25. I believe we should vote gay Liberal candidates into parliament and change the Liberal Party from the inside. Equal treatment of minority groups, especially gays and lesbians (representing less than 10% of the voters), requires both sides of politics to back it. We have achieved a great deal of change within the Liberal Party in NSW and Australia in the past terms of parliament.
    The following issues should be considered in deciding how we vote at the NSW election in March 2011:
    1. Rewarding Labor for its recent past progress on gay rights.
    2. Giving Clover Moore a victory lap for her past achievements.
    3. Voting on the 2011 election policies which all parties submit, including GLBT policies.

  26. Tony Abbotts rant “Im scared of Homosexuals” on 60 minutes beamed all around the world said it all didn’t it?
    Im afraid the damage has be said/done.
    If the greens clearly dump their Idiotic Unwanted Carbon Tax & Whinge on Illegal Refugees coming through the back door Policys.Then we should have a Green Government,I want to vote green,like millions but not for another tax or queue jumpers.
    Thankyou

  27. How absurd the Liberals are to say they are uncertain if marriage inequality is discrimination! By any measure discrimination occurs if a person or group is treated differently from another person or group, i.e. when gay people can’t marry and straight people can.

    And how absurd the Liberal Party is to suggest that legislation/marriage may not matter! If you legally prohibit gay and lesbian people from marrying, it sends a pretty strong message that they are second-class Australians.

    And what exquisite cruelty it is to say to two people that they cannot marry and that their love is worth less. Even though they may live, sleep, eat, make love, grow old and die together.

    So a vote for the Liberal Party is a vote to be treated as second-class Australians.

    Well sorry but that is not for me, or my partner of 9 years. I will not vote for a party that wants to oppress me and deny me freedom and dignity because I exist.

    Giving all in the GLBTI community full equality benefits everyone in the community by allowing all to fully participate in, and contribute to, society. The Liberals seem to think we should be denied equality and fairness. They have yet to learn what the words respect and dignity are. Until they have policies that demonstrate we are not second-class, they are not deserving of our vote.

  28. These fools can’t be serious ! Why would any self respecting gay or lesbian vote for a party that actively discriminates against them – eg. marriage equality. In last weeks vote in the house the liberal party voted as a block against greens mp adam brand’s motion for all mp to consult with their constituents on the issue of gay marriage….A gay or lesbian person voting liberal is the moral equivalent of a Jewish person voting for the nazi party.

  29. Penny Wong has proven that having an openly gay person elected is not always the best option when it comes to electing people to take care of our issues. If it were left up to her, we would still be hearing the “marriage is a historical union between a man and a woman” mantra and being encouraged to take our seats in the back of the bus.

    Better a straight Green than a cowardly Queen. Either stand up and commit to Gay Marriage with out regard to the party stance, or go away.
    We will not be denied.