Rachael Brown reported this story on Friday, February 12, 2016 08:27:29

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: There's no doubt the Nationals are a socially conservative force but are some out of step with a rapidly changing social environment?



In Victoria's north-west, the Federal Member for Mallee, Andrew Broad, when asked about same sex marriage replied with an analogy about two rams having sex in a paddock.



Rachael Brown reports.



RACHAEL BROWN: In the Nationals heartland of Mallee the Federal Member, Andrew Broad, has upset some locals by equating same sex relationships with randy rams.



In the Sunraysia Daily, he defended a plan to decide the same sex marriage debate via a plebiscite then went on to say;



(excerpt from Sunraysia Daily)



ANDREW BROAD (voiceover): Do I support calling a relationship between a man and a man and a woman and a woman marriage? No I don't. I think a bicycle is not a tricycle and relationships can have different names.



I can put the rams in a paddock and they might mount one another but no lambs will come out.



KIERAN MANGAN: I was infuriated, not only is it dehumanising it's also unrelated.



Same sex marriage isn't about breeding, whether it's humans or lambs. It's about two people being allowed to love each other.



RACHAEL BROWN: Kieran Mangan lives with his male partner in Mr Broad's electorate and says he was disappointed to hear such language from a federal Member of Parliament.



KIERAN MANGAN: The kind of thing he might say over a couple of beers with mates isn't the kind of thing you should be saying to the general public like that. It's directly connecting people of the same-sex attracted to farm animals. I think it's a pretty stupid thing to say.



RACHAEL BROWN: Upset after reading the article, Mr Mangan emailed Andrew Broad.



KIERAN MANGAN: And he responded sorry that I caused offence, the newspaper took it out of context.



RACHAEL BROWN: But the Sunraysia Daily journalist maintains he reported the MP's words correctly and in context.



In 2012, Liberal senator Cory Bernardi moved to the backbench after a furore when he argued that permitting same sex marriages could lead to legalised bestiality.



And it's not the first time Andrew Broad has used animals to explain his stance on gay marriage.



ALI CUPPER: I know from comments on my own Facebook page that at least one other local person has said in a one on one conversation with her at one stage he used the same analogy.



RACHAEL BROWN: Mildura Rural City councillor, Ali Cupper, accuses Mr Broad of hypocrisy, as the local member recently helped launch a local chapter of Headspace - a mental health support group for young people including those who identify as gay and lesbian.



ALI CUPPER: These are kids who require extra support because of the sort of messaging precisely that our federal member is beaming out which makes these children and these young people feel all the more self conscious and it gives them so much more to overcome just in terms of basic identity and self-esteem.



RACHAEL BROWN: Ms Cupper says while her council has devised a LGBTI inclusion plan and some local businesses have rainbow stickers on their windows, the MP is giving the Mallee a bad name.



ALI CUPPER: This was about deliberate ridicule; this was about Broady having a laugh at the expense of a group that the Nats don't really particularly care much about.



RACHAEL BROWN: That can't be argued across the board at the Nationals. Darren Chester was the first federal National MP to come out and say he supports gay marriage.



ALI CUPPER: For sure and I concede that, you're right, and I think that the young Nats too they are more supportive of same sex marriage and those sorts of progressive social issues.



RACHAEL BROWN: Andrew Broad declined to be interviewed for AM but on our question of whether he regrets likening same sex marriage to two rams in a paddock, he said the article wasn't an accurate reflection of discussions, and that:



(excerpt from statement)



ANDREW BROAD (voiceover): The Government will hold a plebiscite on changes to the Marriage Act and every Australian over the age of 18 will be given an opportunity to decide the outcome in line with their personal views.



RACHAEL BROWN: Kieran Mangan again.



KIERAN MANGAN: Well, here's the funny thing is that I think that what Andrew said about the farm animals is the very reason why we probably need rainbow stickers in windows so that anyone can go in there and know that they're not going to hear this kind of offensive conversation over their shoulder.



MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: That report by Rachael Brown.

