HEALTH Minister Nicola Roxon has been asked to explain her ignorance of sacked men's health ambassador Warwick Marsh's attitudes to homosexuality after it was revealed she shared a podium with him four years ago at a forum where anti-gay views were aired.
Ms Roxon yesterday announced she had dumped the Fatherhood Foundation founder from the list of honorary men's health ambassadors named on Tuesday after Mr Marsh failed to repudiate "extremely offensive comments" about gay people.
"When we know that there are particular men's health issues and challenges in the gay community, it really is, as I've said, untenable for Mr Marsh to continue in this position," the minister said.
Ms Roxon said Mr Marsh's appointment was a mistake and she accepted it as her own. She said the background checks on the men's ambassadors had not been good enough.
"I do wish that these comments had been drawn to my attention," she said.
Australian Coalition for Equality spokesman Rodney Croome said Ms Roxon had been disingenuous in professing no knowledge of Mr Marsh's views.
In August 2004, Ms Roxon, then Opposition justice spokeswoman, appeared on the same speakers' list as Mr Marsh at a day-long National Marriage Coalition event at Parliament House.
The event gained coverage not only for her announcement that Labor would support a government bill to ban gay and lesbian marriages but also because delegates reported descriptions of gay couples as shameful and vile.
"She knows exactly who these men are, she knows exactly their views, and she has done for years; she can't claim ignorance," Mr Croome said.
Ms Roxon was quoted as saying at the time that she was not trying to defend all things that all people said at the forum. "But to suggest that we should only talk to people who agree with us misses the point of politics," she added.
See Roxon dumps 'anti-gay' men's health ambassador
The Australian, Australia
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