Jeff Kennett running off at the mouth once again!
This man is obviously not stable!
Thursday 21 August 2008
For Immediate Release
Liberal Party Called on to Distance itself from Kennett’s attacks on GLBTI
community and to take a stand on Rights.The State Labor Member for Albert
Park today in Parliament tabled resolutions condemning the recent comments
of the former Liberal leader Jeff Kennett equating the presence of bi-sexual
people in community organisations akin to having a “paedophile as a masseur
in a football club.”
Mr Foley tabled three resolutions in the Parliament (set out below) which call
on the Liberal Party to not only distance themselves from these remarks but f
or the State Liberals to acknowledge the implications of these remarks and to
take a public stand against comments which seek to vilify the Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual, Transsexual and Intersex communities.
Mr Foley commented:“It is important that the rights of our GLBTI community
be respected and defended. This Labor Government has sought to work with our
GLBTI community in entrenching the notion of equality and rights of all groups in
our community. Attacks like those we saw recently from the former Liberal
Premier set back this campaign. In fact they legitimise the worst type of
scaremongering and provide a dog whistle to those in the community who wish
to wind back the rights the community has battled long and hard to achieve.”
“I restate my demand that the Liberal Party leadership join with the State
Government in standing up for the rights of the GLBTI community.”
The resolutions Mr Foley moved in the Legislative Assembly today were:-
this House condemns the former Liberal Premier of Victoria , President of the
Hawthorn Football Club and Lord Mayor aspirant ,Jeff Kennett for his recent
comments equating the presence of bi-sexual people in community
organisations to having a ‘paedophile as a masseur in a football club’;- this
House calls upon the Leader of the State Opposition to distant himself from
the comments of the former Leader of the Liberal Party attacking our bi
sexual community and in so doing asks him to note that these types of remarks
to the extent to which they go unchallenged can profoundly and adversely
impact on the lives of lesbian gay and bi sexual members of our community.-
This House calls upon the leader of the Opposition to take a public stand against
the type comments and acts of homophobic vilification as reflected in the
Former Liberal Leader Jeff Kennett’s comments and to take a step to protecti
the health and well being of all of those in ourcommunity.
After the initial Kennett article, the HERALD SUN followed up with more
from the same interview the following week: this time he compared bisexual
trainers in the change rooms to paedophile priests!Jeff Kennett tried to mediate
in Bonnie Doon football trainer disputeby James CampbellAugust 03, 2008
12:00amJEFF Kennett has revealed he tried to help a country football
trainer who had been sacked by his club after it learned he was bisexual.
The former Victorian Premier and Beyond Blue chairman sparked a furore
last week by defending the club, saying it was "trying to do the right thing".
But Mr Kennett has also revealed he was approached by Ken Campagnolo
after the veteran trainer was fired by Bonnie Doon Football Club and he had
tried to mediate in the dispute. "I've tried to help this guy individually and
been involved in early discussions, which broke down," Mr Kennett said.
There were "difficulties with many members of their club regarding Mr
Campagnolo". "The club was disappointed, but clearly felt they had no
option in the interests of their members," he said. "I feel sorry for them
and the man . . . as I said, we tried to resolve this quietly, but we weren't
successful." Mr Campagnolo has taken the AFL, Bonnie Doon football club
and the Benalla and District Football League to the Victorian Civil and
Administrative Tribunal alleging discrimination. Last week Mr Kennett
sparked outrage in the gay community after likening the issue of having
a bisexual trainer in a sports club to a having a pedophile there. "My
reference to pedophilia was to make the point of what has been occurring
in various churches . . . this has heightened public opinion and led to many
organisations trying to put in place programs or actions to minimise risk
to individuals within organisations or clubs," Mr Kennett said.
Original article:
HERALD SUN EXCLUSIVE:
FORMER state premier Jeff Kennett has provoked a gay rights storm by
backing a football club that sacked a trainer for being gay.
The Hawthorn president and potential Melbourne lord mayor
sparked calls for his sacking after saying Bonnie Doon Football Club was
within its rights to sack veteran trainer Ken Campagnolo after it found out
he was gay. "The club felt that once this had been pointed out and you had
this gentleman there who was obviously close to young men - massaging
young men - it ran an unnecessary risk and that's why it decided it was
best that he not perform those duties again. So the club was trying to do
the right thing," Mr Kennett said. When you are in charge of a group of
young boys, as this club was as I understand it, it's got to make sure."
Mr Kennett said it was as if the club had a pedophile trainer. "It's the same
if you have a pedophile there as a masseur, right?" "And you might say the
pedophile would do no damage, but once it was pointed out to you, you
have a duty of care to those underage children not to put them in a situation
of risk." He could not guarantee a gay trainer would be welcome at Hawthorn,
adding: "I don't know if we've got any. "I'm just saying at the moment we
have a duty of care to our players and staff and you have to make judgments
on that. If you don't do it you end up with potential legal liability."
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