An Albany councillor and Western Australian Liberal Party candidate has refused to comply with an order to undergo “inclusivity training” for saying that the plus in LGBTQ+ included paedophiles.
City of Albany councillor Dr Thomas Brough, an emergency doctor, tree farmer and volunteer firefighter, stated in a council meeting on Tuesday night that he considered the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Respectful and Inclusive Workplace Training to be forced indoctrination.
In February Dr Brough was attacked by homosexual groups and the national broadcaster the ABC for telling council that locals should be aware that “minor-attracted persons” – a sanitised term for paedophiles used by left-wing academics – are included in the LGBTQ+ coalition, and in June was ordered to undergo workplace training.
But Dr Brough said in his councillor report time this week that he although he would not criticise a decision of council he believed that it amounted to “forced re-education by government bureaucracy” that has no place in a democracy.
“This very important matter is a simple truth. This truth will not be a surprise to anyone with common sense, a good upbringing, or humility. And the simple truth is this: coercion of thought has no place in our city,” he said.
“Australia is a prosperous nation because we believe that citizens are entitled to freedom of thought. Russia, China, Iran, North Korea are wretched countries because they believe that citizens are not entitled to freedom of thought.
“In China, in Russia, in Iran, in North Korea, if you do not share the viewpoints of the powerful you are sent back to the classroom, sometimes permanently. The forced re-education of citizens is not a cause to celebrate.
“The forced re-education of citizens is a cause for deep shame. Coercion of thought is the mark of the bully. Coercion of thought is the mark of diversity-of-viewpoint phobia.
“Forced indoctrination of elected officials is a sign of dark times. It has no place in our modern democracy. To those who would impose their will upon the minds of others, I say this: you fight a losing battle. Ideas cannot be caged. Thoughts cannot be shackled.”
Dr Brough went on to request that those who “believe though reprogramming is acceptable” engage in open and respectful debate instead, and asked his supported to “stand firm” and “showcase the strength that comes from free thought”.
“It is in the public domain that council decided that their ratepayers should foot the bill for a uniquely un-Australian punishment: my forced re-education by government bureaucracy. Conversion therapy (or at least on the cusp of it),” he said.
“Let me be clear: I will not comply. Let me be clear: I defy you.”
In his report Dr Brough also addressed an ABC reporter in attendance as “comrade”, and referred to two journalists from the Albany Advertiser as “comrade” and “commissar”. Both media outlets have published biased and unbalanced stories on Dr Brough in recent months.
In February an ABC news report called Dr Brough’s claims “false” and “homophobic”, and in March the Albany Advertiser called his statements “incorrect” in articles that quoted members of a radical LGBT group but no-one with opposing views.
However, gay rights activists and queer theory academics have long included “minor-attracted persons” in their coalition of sexual deviants, which adds the “+” symbol to the acronym LGBTQ because it is expanding too fast to include every so-called sexuality or sexual orientation.
As far back as 1974, a group of “paedophile rights” activists claimed to be an oppressed sexual minority in the UK, and lobbied for the age of consent to be abolished.
In 2015, homosexual Norwegian professor Ole Martin Moen, who is on an advisory board for a trans rights lobby group, wrote in an academic paper that paedophilia should be treated as a sexual orientation and taught in schools.
Another homosexual scholar, Allyn Walker, who claims to be “transgender”, wrote a book in 2021 titled A Long, Dark Shadow: Minor-Attracted People and their Pursuit of Dignity, which links queer theory and paedophilia, and argued in a PhD thesis for men to be allowed to view child sex abuse material.
Noticer News contacted Dr Brough for comment.
Dr Brough will contest the seat of Albany for the WA Liberals in next year’s state election after being chosen by local branch members in May, and was endorsed by Perth Lord Mayor and Liberal candidate for Churchlands Basil Zempilas, who said he was the best person for the job.
“He’s a doctor and well respected in the local community for his community service and his work in the local community and that’s why he was selected as the candidate to represent that local area,” Mr Zempilas said at the time.
Dr Brough apologised for his February comments after winning preselection, saying in a statement: “I acknowledge the way in which I approached this issue has caused distress for some people.
“My desire is to be an effective and engaged advocate for the entire Albany community.
“I intend to get on with that task and earn the trust of local people.”
Last year Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson was ordered to take to mandatory social media training by the Ontario College of Psychologists in order to keep his licence, due to posts he made online.
After losing an appeal against the ruling in January Dr Peterson said the board was “making an example of him” and indicated he would not comply.
“A higher court in Canada has ruled that the Ontario College of Psychologists indeed has the right to sentence me to re-education camp. There are no other legal avenues open to me now,” he said.
“It’s capitulate to the petty bureaucrats and the addle-pated woke mob or lose my professional licence. Congratulations, CP Ontario! You won this round.
“Mark my words, however: the war has barely started. There is nothing you can take from me that I’m unwilling to lose. So watch out. Seriously. You’ve been warned.”
