A GAY rights activist demanding an apology from former political hopeful Tess Corbett is warning he will “garnish” the grandmother’s pension to pay for a public apology.
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Ms Corbett made headlines last year when she equated homosexuality with paedophilia while running as the Wannon candidate for Katter’s Australian Party.
She dropped out of the race following the outrage but was later head-hunted by the Australian Christians party to stand as their candidate in the seat. Ms Corbett gained just 1.32 per cent of the poll (1167 votes) but the saga over her initial remarks has dragged on.
Sydney gay rights activist Garry Burns won a successful anti-discrimination claim in a NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) in October last year, with a ruling that Ms Corbett place a public apology in The Sydney Morning Herald.
The tribunal found she vilified homosexuals in her comments to The Hamilton Spectator, which were again published in other media. Ms Corbett lost an appeal against the NCAT ruling in August this year and had until September to comply. She missed the apology deadline.
“She’s had ample time to make arrangements to comply with the order,” Mr Burns said. “If it comes to it I will garnish her pension until it is enough for her apology.”
The activist defended his decision to keep pursuing the matter despite Ms Corbett disappearing from public view following the election.
“She was running for a federal political seat when she made that statement to a journalist. It’s different to if she was just shouting it down the street,” Mr Burns said.
Ms Corbett’s legal counsel did not respond to inquiries from The Standard.