Howard’s ‘hypocrisy’ over Gillard defence

GLBT community members have slammed the rank hypocrisy of the prime minister, John Howard, in remarks made about MP Julia Gillard’s private life.

Howard defended Gillard, the shadow federal minister for education and industrial relations, following a scathing attack by Liberal senator, and close friend of the prime minister, Bill Heffernan.

Last year Heffernan questioned Gillard’s suitability for her shadow ministerial portfolio because she had chosen not to have children.

Heffernan said Gillard was deliberately barren and was therefore out of touch with the majority of voters.

One of the great understandings in a community is family, and the relationship between mum, dad and a bucket of nappies, the senator commented.

Heffernan felt the wrath of Howard when he told a reporter in this month’s edition of news magazine The Bulletin that he stood by the comments.

I don’t approve of those sort of remarks, and I made that very clear, Howard said. Julia Gillard’s life is her business, and she has a right to live it according to what she thinks is appropriate.

Rod Swift of the Australian Coalition for Equality (ACE) rounded on Howard’s comments: There is rank hypocrisy in most things the Liberal Party are saying now.

Swift cited the time when Heffernan said in parliament that Justice Michael Kirby trawled for rough trade.

[Howard will] deny the comments of his chief headkicker -“ Senator Heffernan -“ in an election period but similarly doesn’t denounce the attacks of [Heffernan] on Michael Kirby.

ACE is dedicated to achieving equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people in Australian national law and policy.

Swift noted that while Howard said he respected Gillard’s right to a private life, the same could not be said of his commitment to the rights of gay and lesbian people to choose how to live their private lives by granting civil partnership rights.

The prime minister should know better than to have [Heffernan] on the exec, Swift continued.

They’re not wise comments, they are silly, inane and people of that vintage should know better.

You have to remember that Pauline Hanson came out of this party -“ she was ejected but she was an endorsed candidate at one point.

Is [the Liberal Party] wanting to elect hard line and discriminatory candidates or are they finally going to embrace compassionate conservatism, going back to the days when there was a conscience in the party?

Sydney Star Observer contacted the attorney-general Philip Ruddock’s office to see if Howard’s comments on Gillard had led him to have a rethink on the GLBT community’s private lives.

Would Ruddock now be embracing Labor’s proposed relationship registry?

That is a matter for the states, was the response from a Ruddock spokesperson.