More combative remarks by Liberal candidate Katherine Deves have come to the surface as she faces a week of backlash over comments about trans people.
Ms Deves, who co-founded an organisation to exclude trans people from women’s sport, was heard on a podcast comparing transactivists to Nazis.
On the podcast, recorded in February of last year, Ms Deves said she felt her “Save Women’s Sport” campaign was comparable to the French resistance to Nazi occupation.
It follows more recent remarks by the election hopeful regarding trans people, for which she has since apologised after facing heavy criticism.
The podcast was hosted by Irish comedian Graham Linehan, who has also clashed with trans activists in the past over posts deemed by them to be hateful.
“I’ve got three small children. I have skin in the game on their behalf and people just weren’t willing to speak up and I just felt compelled to do so,” Ms Deves said on the program.
“I’ve always loved 20th century history. I think many people say, ‘I’d never be one of the villagers that stayed quiet when the trains went past.’ I would have been part of the French resistance.
“But when all of this was happening and no one was speaking out, I thought this is it.
“This is the moment in my life where I am going to have to stand up and say something against the status quo and against the establishment, and say I don’t think this is right and it might come at a cost to me, but I have to say it.”
Ms Deves has felt the cost particularly hard this week, with her campaign for the seat of Warringah against Zali Steggall coming into question.
She was forced to apologise for comments describing trans kids as “surgically mutilated and sterilised”.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison initially defended Ms Deves, saying she was standing up for something “really important”.
“Katherine is an outstanding individual. And she’s standing up for things that she believes in, and I share her views on those topics. This is just about common sense and what’s right. And I think Katherine’s right on the money there,” Mr Morrison said.
More recently, Mr Morrison softened on the issue, saying his government would not support a bill in the works by Ms Deves and Liberal Senator Claire Chandler to stop sports clubs being sued for excluding trans athletes from women’s sport.
