As of this morning, Michael McCormack is our new Deputy Prime Minister after the Nationals appointed him leader and Barnaby Joyce stood down.
Joyce brought with him his own indiscretions. He and a former staffer are expecting a child together, the result of an affair hidden from both his party and his wife of 24 years.
But McCormack is under fire for comments that are more than poor taste – they are downright offensive.
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McCormack, 53, is a former journalist and – in 1991, at age 27 – became the youngest ever editor at Wagga Wagga newspaper The Daily Advertiser, the ABC reports.
Two years later, in May 1993 when he was 28, McCormack wrote an editor’s letter for the paper, in which he called homosexuals “sordid” and “unnatural”. He also blamed the gay community for AIDS.
His words, in part, are here, courtesy of The Daily Advertiser:
The criticism is certainly called for. His words were, and still are, abhorrent.
But how much credit do we give him, when he says he’s changed?
“If you’re in public life you have to expect to be subjected to that kind of scrutiny,” Sydney City councillor Christine Forster told AAP. “He’s said he doesn’t hold those views anymore and you’ve got to take that at face value.”
Forster – whose brother, former PM Tony Abbott, opposes marriage equality – insists people can “evolve” over time.
“Happily homosexuality is not something that has to be closeted anymore and most Australians have family members, friends, colleagues or neighbours who are gay – and of course that interaction with other human beings can change people’s views.”
Perhaps the greatest indicator that McCormack has the potential to do right by the Australian LGBTIQ community, is the way he voted after the same sex marriage survey.
Despite his views, and the words he’s used previously, McCormack voted ‘yes’ when he heard the view of the Australian people.
He did right by the community he treated so horribly. So, while his previous words are unforgivable, his future actions could prove otherwise. One thing is for sure: we will be watching.
Top Comments
Bloke not from the big smoke is woke.
I don’t see how his previous words were unforgivable. It’s called changing times and growth. I was a homophobe in 1993 myself. Thank god for personal growth and changing times.
If he parrots such stuff now- yes I would have an issue but 25 years ago? The majority of Australians were homophobic.