{
  "id": 1331936,
  "title": "'Brokeback' Barnaby knows One Nation needs the pink vote",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/brokeback-barnaby-knows-one-nation-needs-the-pink-vote",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-16T19:03:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-17/one-nation-pink-vote-gay-barnaby-joyce-pauline-hanson-voter-base/107043302"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "One Nation party leader Barnaby Joyce has distanced himself from a former candidate who held homophobic views, while also claiming the party is one of the \"gayest\" in Australia. Parminder Singh, a former WA One Nation candidate, was removed from the party's website after describing homosexuality as a mental illness. Joyce described Singh's comments as \"highly offensive\" and claimed the party includes a \"large proportion of gay people,\" emphasizing that they \"just want people to accept\" them. He did not confirm if Singh had been disendorsed but confirmed his profile had been removed from the party website. The party's stance on gay rights has been inconsistent, with former Liberal senator Cory Bernardi still standing by controversial comments linking same-sex marriage to polygamy and bestiality. Meanwhile, One Nation has elected an openly gay MP, Jason Virgo, who spoke about his Muslim migrant partner in tears during a parliamentary session. The party's position on gay rights is complex, with some members distancing themselves from homophobic comments while others, like Bernardi, refuse to back down. As the party continues to evolve, the contradictions within its stance on gay rights are becoming increasingly apparent.",
  "summary": "If One Nation genuinely wants to replace the Liberals and Nationals as the dominant force on the right, it needs a broader voter base. That is where the gay vote comes in.",
  "key_points": [
    "Barnaby Joyce distanced himself from homophobic One Nation candidate Parminder Singh.",
    "Joyce claimed One Nation is \"one of the gayest\" parties in Australia.",
    "Party elected openly gay MP Jason Virgo."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}