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A political ploy to stir up anti-gay sentiment has failed to save the Maroochy mayor.
The Sunshine Coast mayor who lost his re-election bid to a rival he accused of turning the region into a “gay Mecca” has said he has no regrets.
Maroochy Mayor Joe Natoli said he did not regret asking Noosa Mayor Bob Abbot whether he planned to turn the Sunshine Coast into the “gay capital of Australia”, but said he believed the issue had been “blown up’’ in the media.
“I believe you have been a strong advocate of Noosa being the gay capital of Australia,” Natoli challenged Abbott in a debate on ABC Radio two days before the March 15 poll.
“If you become the mayor of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, will you expand that so the Sunshine Coast becomes the gay capital of Australia?’’
When Abbott accused Natoli of striking “low blows”, the Maroochy mayor, who has courted the region’s strong Christian constituency, claimed: “A lot of people have asked me that question.”
After losing the poll to Abbott by a margin of more than two to one, Natoli denied he was “homophobic” but said he did not think the coast should be promoting itself as a gay destination.
He claimed he was “tired” during the radio debate but added: “I don’t regret asking the question’’.
Abbott, who will take over control of the newly amalgamated council, denied Natoli’s accusations “absolutely”.
“Noosa is not the gay capital of Australia,” Abbott said during the debate.
“Noosa gets many, many gay visitors after the Mardi Gras and they are welcome like every other Australian.
“I am not a bigot. I am not closed of mind.
“These people provide good value to the business community of the Sunshine Coast and indeed to Noosa."
Organiser of Noosa’s Post-Mardi Gras Recovery Week Rod Stringer told Queensland Pride that each year about 2000 Mardi Gras revellers visit the area.
“It’s been running for about 15 years now and it’s worth about half a million dollars to the economy of Noosa as people spend money on restaurants, travel and tours, shops and a whole gambit of things,” he said.
He said Tourism Noosa supported the event in the same way it supports other tour groups, but this year the event had also attracted a groundswell of support from local businesses.
“The big support this year was from 30 individual businesses, and we have to compete against some big destinations that promote heavily,” he said.
Stringer said he believed Natoli’s comments were a “desperate ploy” to prop up support.
However, one day before the poll, Abbott predicted the attack would backfire.
“I would not be surprised if I picked up another 5 per cent [of the vote],” Abbott said.
“These attacks on sections of the community are alienating a large number of people. It’s really disappointing that he feels the need to revert to that sort of thing.”
Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC) thanked Sunshine Coast residents for rejecting Natoli’s claims.
“Mr Natoli seems to have tried to use the gay and lesbian community as a political football in his bid to be Mayor,” QAHC General Manager Paul Martin said.
“Judging by the huge reaction against his comments by local residents, his attempt has backfired.”
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