A Liberal candidate contesting a seat in Adelaide’s northern suburbs is facing criticism after a series of past comments about LGBTQ+ people, feminism and Islam resurfaced online.
Carston Woodhouse, the Liberal candidate for the South Australian electorate of Wright, has been linked to remarks made during appearances on the evangelical American podcast ElijahFire. In the clips, Woodhouse expresses a range of controversial views, including claiming “same-sex marriage is not real,” describing feminism as “demonic,” and referring to Islam as “poisonous and wrong.”
In one podcast segment, Woodhouse questions the legitimacy of marriage equality, saying:
“There’s this whole reality pretending that same-sex marriage is real – it’s not, it ignores decades of the reality of observations that marriage is between a man and a woman.”
He also raised concerns about what he described as “demonic realms” being opened when society accepts homosexuality.
Woodhouse reportedly referenced a number of right-wing commentators during the discussions, including Michael Knowles and Ben Shapiro, and described himself as having been “redpilled” — a term commonly associated with far-right political views.
Political reaction
The comments were brought into the spotlight by Blair Boyer, the Labor member currently holding the seat of Wright.
Boyer described the remarks as “shocking” and “extreme”, criticising the South Australian Liberal Party for failing to properly vet candidates before endorsing them for election.
Carston Woodhouse
Woodhouse is reportedly a pastor at Field of Dreams Church in Adelaide. However, his role as a religious leader and his evangelical beliefs are not referenced on his official candidate profile for the Liberal Party, which instead emphasises themes such as “common sense leadership” and opposition to what it describes as government overreach.
It has also been confirmed that Woodhouse is employed by the South Australian Liberal Party.
Liberal leadership response
South Australian Liberal leader Ashton Hurn has acknowledged that she does not share Woodhouse’s views but has stopped short of removing him as the party’s candidate.
“I’m not going to stop someone from having an opinion,” Hurn said. “At the end of the day, he is our candidate.”
Her response has drawn further criticism from advocates who say the remarks reflect broader hostility toward LGBTQ+ people.
Debate over hate speech protections
The controversy has also reignited discussion about South Australia’s hate speech laws.
According to Charlie Hamra, president of the South Australian chapter of Pride in Law, the state currently lacks specific legal protections against hate speech targeting LGBTQIA+ people.
South Australia’s Equal Opportunity Act 1984 does not address vilification based on sexual orientation or gender identity, with existing hate speech laws focusing primarily on race.
“Carston Woodhouse denies the reality of same-sex marriage and Cory Bernardi regurgitates a link to bestiality,” Hamra said.
“But these are only the most prominent recent examples of a continuous torrent of abuse faced by the LGBTIQA+ community every day.”
Pride in Law has called on all candidates contesting the election to support legislation that would prohibit the incitement of hatred, serious contempt or severe ridicule based on characteristics such as sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, HIV status, disability or religion.
The South Australian Rainbow Advocacy Alliance (SARAA) has also been pushing for reforms, noting that other Australian jurisdictions — including New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and the ACT — already have broader protections in place, with Victoria currently considering similar legislation.
Election timing
The controversy comes just days before early voting begins for the South Australian state election, with attention now turning to how the issue may affect the campaign in the seat of Wright.
Controversy Erupts Over Australian Candidate’s Comments on LGBTQ+ People and Feminism
A Liberal candidate contesting a seat in Adelaide’s northern suburbs is facing criticism after a series of past comments about LGBTQ+ people, feminism and Islam resurfaced online.
Carston Woodhouse, the Liberal candidate for the South Australian electorate of Wright, has been linked to remarks made during appearances on the evangelical American podcast ElijahFire. In the clips, Woodhouse expresses a range of controversial views, including claiming “same-sex marriage is not real,” describing feminism as “demonic,” and referring to Islam as “poisonous and wrong.”
In one podcast segment, Woodhouse questions the legitimacy of marriage equality, saying:
He also raised concerns about what he described as “demonic realms” being opened when society accepts homosexuality.
Woodhouse reportedly referenced a number of right-wing commentators during the discussions, including Michael Knowles and Ben Shapiro, and described himself as having been “redpilled” — a term commonly associated with far-right political views.
Political reaction
The comments were brought into the spotlight by Blair Boyer, the Labor member currently holding the seat of Wright.
Boyer described the remarks as “shocking” and “extreme”, criticising the South Australian Liberal Party for failing to properly vet candidates before endorsing them for election.
Woodhouse is reportedly a pastor at Field of Dreams Church in Adelaide. However, his role as a religious leader and his evangelical beliefs are not referenced on his official candidate profile for the Liberal Party, which instead emphasises themes such as “common sense leadership” and opposition to what it describes as government overreach.
It has also been confirmed that Woodhouse is employed by the South Australian Liberal Party.
Liberal leadership response
South Australian Liberal leader Ashton Hurn has acknowledged that she does not share Woodhouse’s views but has stopped short of removing him as the party’s candidate.
“I’m not going to stop someone from having an opinion,” Hurn said. “At the end of the day, he is our candidate.”
Her response has drawn further criticism from advocates who say the remarks reflect broader hostility toward LGBTQ+ people.
Debate over hate speech protections
The controversy has also reignited discussion about South Australia’s hate speech laws.
According to Charlie Hamra, president of the South Australian chapter of Pride in Law, the state currently lacks specific legal protections against hate speech targeting LGBTQIA+ people.
South Australia’s Equal Opportunity Act 1984 does not address vilification based on sexual orientation or gender identity, with existing hate speech laws focusing primarily on race.
“Carston Woodhouse denies the reality of same-sex marriage and Cory Bernardi regurgitates a link to bestiality,” Hamra said.
“But these are only the most prominent recent examples of a continuous torrent of abuse faced by the LGBTIQA+ community every day.”
Pride in Law has called on all candidates contesting the election to support legislation that would prohibit the incitement of hatred, serious contempt or severe ridicule based on characteristics such as sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, HIV status, disability or religion.
The South Australian Rainbow Advocacy Alliance (SARAA) has also been pushing for reforms, noting that other Australian jurisdictions — including New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and the ACT — already have broader protections in place, with Victoria currently considering similar legislation.
Election timing
The controversy comes just days before early voting begins for the South Australian state election, with attention now turning to how the issue may affect the campaign in the seat of Wright.
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