Scott Morrison has again refused to distance himself from embattled Liberal candidate Katherine Deves, insisting he will not “cancel” her.
A string of reports over the past week have brought to several inflammatory comments made by Ms Deves on social media, including one where shxjmtzywe likened her lobbying to stop transgender athletes from competing in women’s sport to standing up against the Holocaust.
Speaking to Mix 102.3 Adelaide, the Prime Minister said the furore around Ms Deves’ views proved Australia needed to learn how to “disagree better”.
“I'm not going to cancel Katherine,” Mr Morrison said.
But host Ali Clarke pressed further and didn‘t accept his reasoning.
“Hang on, with respect, you are setting the tone here and you have picked this person to run … transgender women, transgender people with some of our most marginalised people.”
“So don‘t you as the prime minister have the responsibility to set the tone for the discussion that will be respectful and meaningful and protective of some of our most marginalised?”
Mr Morrison said both he and Ms Deves had acknowledged some of her “thousands of comments” had crossed a line.
“She knows that she needs to be more sensitive on those issues,” he said before adding, “I think in a country like this, we've got to learn to disagree better.”
