There’s greater worries: Katter
BOB Katter says he is not interested in the same- sex marriage debate and will stick to dealing with croc issues in North Queensland.
“People are entitled to their sexual proclivities – let there be a thousand blossoms bloom as far as I’m concerned,” the federal Kennedy MP said.
“But I ain’t spending any time on it because, in the meantime, every three months a person is torn to pieces by a crocodile in North Queensland and every three months a farmer does away with himself.
“Those are the sort of things that are occupying my time.”
Mr Katter’s electorate was one of just 17 across Australia to return a majority “no” vote – 53.3 per cent – in the same- sex marriage postal survey. The firebrand MP said he would vote against laws to allow same- sex couples to marry.
“Is the Pope a Catholic? Of course I’ll be voting no,” he said. “If you are told that this is going to change the world as we know it, as I heard on the radio, then you are lied to.”
However, Mr Katter said he believed that the legislation would be passed.
“I think the people of Australia have been massively deceived,” he said. “There is no change that occurs at all.
“Religious freedom is now under threat because if you are a pastor, priest, minister of religion or a marriage celebrant and you refuse to consecrate – or whatever the word is – that marriage, then you are now in some jeopardy.”
Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in Townsville has voiced its disappointment at the majority “yes” result of the same- sex marriage survey.
In a statement yesterday, the Catholic Diocese of Townsville recognised the likelihood of legislation passing in Federal Parliament after 61.6 per cent of Australian voters returned a yes ballot.
“The church accepts the result because the majority of people have spoken. The church will continue to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, which allows for the creation and nurture of children,” Bishop Tim Harris said.
“At the same time, we hope that those who voted to change the definition of marriage will accept that the church has the right to its unchanged position.
“We pray that whatever view we hold on this issue we can still be friends.”