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Carston Woodhouse Withdraws as Liberal Candidate Following Emergence of Past Statements

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Carston Woodhouse Withdraws as Liberal Candidate for Wright After Controversial Podcast Comments

Carston Woodhouse has withdrawn as the Liberal candidate for the South Australian seat of Wright after comments he made on an American evangelical Christian podcast were brought to public attention. The statements addressed topics including same-sex marriage, feminism, homosexuality, abortion, Islam, and transgender issues, leading to scrutiny from the opposition and a response from the Liberal Party leadership.

Candidate Profile and Background

Carston Woodhouse was the Liberal candidate for the seat of Wright in Adelaide's northern suburbs for the upcoming state election. He is employed by the South Australian Liberal Party and also serves as a lead pastor for the Field of Dreams Church in Adelaide. His official Liberal Party candidate profile listed experience in "hospitality, education and humanitarian work" but did not include details of his religious views or pastoral position. His Facebook candidate page was removed on Wednesday.

Controversial Statements Surface

Comments made by Mr. Woodhouse during an appearance on the American evangelical Christian podcast 'ElijahFire' were publicly highlighted by Blair Boyer, the sitting Labor member for Wright, during a press conference on Wednesday. Recordings of Mr. Woodhouse's remarks from the podcast were played for media. Additional statements from the podcast were subsequently reported following further media investigation.

Specific Views Expressed by Mr. Woodhouse

During his podcast appearances, Mr. Woodhouse made several statements on various topics:

  • Same-Sex Marriage: He stated that "same-sex marriage is not real," asserting that "it ignores decades of the reality of observations that marriage is between a man and a woman" and "ignores the dynamics between men and women."
  • Homosexuality: He suggested the "potential opening of 'demonic realms' when 'you accept homosexuality'."
  • Feminism: He described "feminism as demonic."
  • Abortion: He expressed the view that a woman should not have abortion rights, even in cases of rape or incest, stating, "even then, you're still talking about a life" and that there is "no argument for abortion" in such cases.
  • Gender and Transgender Issues: He asserted that "changing one's sex is an 'illusion'," described "the 'trans agenda is insanity'," and emphasized that "this is irreversible damage" and "not a game."
  • Islam: He characterized "Islam as poisonous and wrong," stating that people "have to understand why Islam is poisonous and why it's wrong, and what it actually believes."
  • Political and Religious Ideologies: Mr. Woodhouse identified himself as "red-pilled," a term associated with far-right, anti-feminist ideologies. He discussed "interceding for your nation," "finding God in the marketplace of ideas," and stated his prayer for Australia was to "change Australian culture." He referenced right-wing figures such as Michael Knowles, Ben Shapiro, and Charlie Kirk, the latter known for advocating against the separation of church and state. He also voiced opposition to a 2024 ban on the Nazi salute and swastika in South Australia and made a spiritual claim about "witnessing people 'hug witches that have come into church services and hugged them and watched them melt'."

"Same-sex marriage is not real." - Carston Woodhouse

Initial Political Fallout

Labor's Criticism

Blair Boyer described Mr. Woodhouse's views as "shocking and extreme." He criticized the Liberal Party's candidate vetting process, stating it was "clearly not done" and suggested a "last-minute scramble" led to insufficient scrutiny. Mr. Boyer expressed concern that individuals holding such views were pre-selected candidates for public office.

Liberal Leader's Initial Stance

On Wednesday, Liberal leader Ashton Hurn stated she did not share Mr. Woodhouse's views, remarking, "They're not something that sits well with me" and found them concerning. She initially affirmed that "he's allowed to have his views" and that "individuals within political parties are permitted to hold differing opinions." Ms. Hurn initially stated that Mr. Woodhouse would continue as the candidate, indicating the party's focus was on its policy agenda for South Australia.

Liberal leader Ashton Hurn initially affirmed that Mr. Woodhouse was "allowed to have his views" and would continue as the candidate, despite not sharing his sentiments.

Candidate Withdraws Amid Pressure

Withdrawal and Continued Employment

On Thursday, Ms. Hurn announced that Mr. Woodhouse was no longer running as a candidate. Liberal Party State Director Alex Hyde confirmed that Mr. Woodhouse "agreed to withdraw his candidacy" following discussions aimed at focusing the campaign on policy priorities. The Electoral Commission was notified. Mr. Hyde stated that Mr. Woodhouse maintains his deeply held views but supports the Liberal Party's success.

Significantly, Ms. Hurn declined to specify whether Mr. Woodhouse was disendorsed or resigned, but confirmed that his employment contract with Liberal Party headquarters would continue.

Further Political Commentary

Federal Liberal Senator Alex Antic commented in parliament on Thursday regarding the potential impact of Mr. Woodhouse's departure on the upcoming state election. Mr. Boyer criticized Ms. Hurn's handling of the situation and questioned the decision to continue Mr. Woodhouse's employment at Liberal headquarters. Earlier, Liberal MP Ben Hood had affirmed Mr. Woodhouse's candidacy, stating the party welcomed people of all faiths.

Electoral and Community Context

The seat of Wright, which covers Adelaide's north-eastern suburbs, is considered a safe Labor seat with an 11.9 percent margin, having been held by the party since 1997. In the 2017 national postal survey, South Australia voted 62.5% in favor of same-sex marriage.

Charlie Hamra, President of the South Australian chapter of Pride in Law, stated that Mr. Woodhouse's comments were examples of "a continuous torrent of abuse faced by LGBTIQA+ community." Mr. Hamra also noted the absence of legal protection from hate speech for LGBTIQA+ South Australians, a contrast to anti-vilification laws present in other Australian states and territories.