Shelton to top ticket for senate

IT WAS always Lyle Shelton’s goal to run for a spot in the Australian senate, and now he’s been given a prime chance.

The Toowoomba anti-gay marriage campaigner is the lead candidate for the Australian Conservatives at the next election.

The news comes months after Mr Shelton left the Australian Christian Lobby to join Senator Cory Bernardi’s renegade conservative movement.

“It was my intention (to run) and that was something Senator Bernardi wanted me to do, (but) I had to win the support in the party rank and file,” he told The Chronicle.

Mr Shelton earned national notoriety and publicity during the ACL’s failed campaign last year to prevent gay marriage from being written into law.

He said the party would head to the election on an “anti-political correctness” agenda, which he said had even contributed to higher electricity prices.

“The plan of attack will be the message of anti-PC (because) we need to end political correctness in our society,” he said.

“Due to being beholden to green energy, Australia has our coal locked up because of ideology.

“People can see that PC is restricting and inhibiting freedom of speech. It’s holding back our energy resources.”

An election must be called by May 2019.