One Nation candidate Parminder Singh's homophobic comments spark controversy
Consensus Summary
A One Nation candidate, Parminder Singh, made controversial homophobic remarks in a video, calling gay people mentally ill and criticizing same-sex marriage and gay parades. Both ABC and the Guardian report that Singh was third on One Nation’s Western Australian Legislative Council ticket in 2025 and that his profile was removed from the party’s website after the comments surfaced. The Guardian notes that One Nation’s leader, Barnaby Joyce, defended the party as 'one of the gayest parties in Australia,' citing its gay MPs like James Virgo and James Ashby. The ABC highlights Singh’s broader offensive statements, including claims about transgender people and comparisons between humans and animals regarding sexuality. The incident has reignited scrutiny over One Nation’s candidate vetting process, with the Guardian mentioning a 2024 case involving another candidate, Aoi Baxter, who was dropped due to a UK arrest warrant. Both sources agree that same-sex marriage was legalized in 2017, and the Guardian references the 2017 postal survey results, where 66% of Australians supported marriage equality.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Parminder Singh was third on One Nation’s Western Australian Legislative Council ticket in 2025
- Same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia in 2017
- One Nation removed Parminder Singh’s profile from their website after ABC enquiries
- One Nation’s South Australian MP James Virgo is gay
- One Nation’s National Director James Ashby is gay
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Barnaby Joyce described One Nation as 'one of the gayest parties in Australia'
- One Nation dumped candidate Aoi Baxter ahead of the South Australian state election in 2024 due to a UK arrest warrant for alleged sexual misconduct
- Equality Australia’s Anna Brown referenced the 2017 postal survey on marriage equality, where nearly 80% of Australians participated and 66% supported it
- One Nation is preparing for the Victorian state election in November
- Parminder Singh claimed gay people have a mental illness and that marriage equality should not have been legalised
- Singh said 'you no need to gay parade in city' and that gay parades 'advertise' being gay to young people
- Singh referenced 'three sex: male, female and mentally ill' in comments about transgender people
- Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson called Singh a 'snowflake' and said his comments remove doubt about his character
- A 2024 Facebook post by Pauline Hanson’s One Nation WA described Singh as a 'genuinely great person' who believes in 'equality for all people'
- Singh claimed animals are smarter than humans because they are 'not gay' and that people are on earth to create the 'next generation'
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states Singh’s comments were made 'last month' (implied August 2026), while ABC does not specify a month for the video’s posting but focuses on the removal of his profile after their enquiries
- The Guardian mentions Singh was asked to respond on ABC’s *Afternoon Briefing*, but ABC does not confirm this specific program or timing
Source Articles
Barnaby Joyce claims One Nation ‘one of the gayest parties in Australia’ as former candidate’s comments surface
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