SA Liberals Defend Candidate Amid Controversial Remarks on Homosexuality and Gender
The South Australian Liberal party is maintaining its support for election candidate Carston Woodhouse, despite his contentious statements that same-sex marriage is not real, homosexuality can open up "demonic realms," and gender transitioning is an "illusion." Woodhouse is running as a Liberal for the seat of Wright in Adelaide's north in the upcoming state elections, with early voting set to commence this Saturday.
Labor Criticises 'Shocking and Extreme' Views
Incumbent Labor member for Wright, Blair Boyer, who serves as the SA minister for education, training and skills, has condemned Woodhouse's comments as "shocking and extreme." During a press conference, Boyer highlighted clips from the ElijahFire Christian podcast, where Woodhouse has appeared multiple times, including a 2022 episode. In these recordings, Woodhouse asserts, "There is no argument for abortion ... even the whole rape [and] incest thing," and declares, "Feminism is demonic." He also references right-wing influencers such as Michael Knowles, Ben Shapiro, and the late Charlie Kirk.
Woodhouse's Statements on LGBTQ+ Issues
In a February 2025 podcast episode, Woodhouse elaborated on his views, stating that the LGBTQ+ community is imposing its ideology on others and that separating gender and sex is "rubbish." He argued, "There's this whole reality pretending that same-sex marriage is real – it's not. It ignores decades of the reality of observations of the dynamics between a man and a woman. God designed those interplays, so if you take those dynamics away from a child, or from society, you destroy its fabric." Additionally, he claimed there is "this illusion that you can somehow change your sex, which you can't."
Liberal Leader's Response and Party Stance
State Liberal leader Ashton Hurn responded to inquiries about Woodhouse's comments by emphasizing her focus on "what matters." She stated, "I do not share the candidate's views on those issues and am focused on speaking to South Australians about our policies to make their lives better." Hurn also referenced a recent controversy involving Health Minister Chris Picton to illustrate the importance of staying focused. She added that many people within political parties hold differing opinions and that Woodhouse is "allowed to have his views," as reported by the ABC.
On the SA Liberal party's website, Woodhouse is described as "strong, principled and community-minded" and someone whose leadership "restores fairness for all South Australians."
Boyer's Critique of Preselection Process
Boyer described Woodhouse's stance as "insulting," "an attack," and "astonishing," attributing his candidacy to a "last-minute scramble" by the Liberal party. Wright has been a safe Labor seat since 1997. Boyer argued, "The ramifications of having such a shambolic and chaotic preselection process is that the political party, in this case the South Australian Liberal party, does not have the time to do the proper vetting it should do. There's a reason these things take time, for all political parties, because you want to make sure that candidates who are running under your banner are fit and proper people to be standing to be a member of parliament."
He further warned that individuals with extreme views are no longer on the fringes but are now preselected candidates for public office, highlighting the broader implications for political discourse in South Australia.
Context of Public Opinion
It is noteworthy that South Australia voted 62.5% in favour of same-sex marriage in the 2017 national postal survey, indicating a majority support for LGBTQ+ rights in the state. Woodhouse was approached for comment but did not respond.
