What Happened
Footage from a Church and State conference in June has triggered immediate criticism after One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts questioned whether gay Australians deserve equal recognition. The recording, reported by The Guardian, shows the senator addressing an audience alongside party leader Pauline Hanson during a Q&A session concerning James Ashby, One Nation’s national director, who is openly gay.
In the video, Roberts initially praised Ashby as bright and honest before making a joke regarding his sexuality. When an audience member asked what Christians should think about Ashby given these factors, Roberts referenced an argument attributed to the late American bishop John Shelby Spong. He suggested that gay people were the next group to be recognized as equal but expressed uncertainty about their claim to equal status following women and Black people.
Roberts stated he could not understand homosexuality because he was not gay himself and described Ashby as not morally sound within the specific religious environment being discussed. During his conference remarks, Roberts also acknowledged that gay people throughout history have reached prominence in politics, business, science, sport and the arts before concluding with his earlier remark about not being able to afford to ban them.
The Timeline
The controversy emerged after the release of footage from a gathering hosted by Church and State, an organization that describes itself as a Christian political education ministry examining policy and political candidates through a scriptural lens. At the time The Guardian published its initial report, Roberts, Ashby and the One Nation party had not responded to requests for comment regarding the conference footage.
This incident follows a pattern of controversial statements by Senator Roberts, including false claims made in May 2022 that COVID-19 vaccines caused miscarriages. In those remarks, he claimed the rate was 50 per cent for vaccinated women and 75 per cent in the first trimester, assertions contradicted by a systematic review published in Human Reproduction in 2023.
Roberts has been a loyal supporter of Senator Hanson since his election to the Senate at the 2016 Australian federal election. The current backlash adds to scrutiny following Hanson’s recent overseas travels and interviews with anti-immigration activists, which have drawn criticism from Coalition leader Angus Taylor.
Who Said What
Equality Australia chief executive Anna Brown strongly criticized the senator, arguing that discussing the possibility of banning people based on their sexuality is fundamentally incompatible with a democratic society. She expressed deep concern that a federal senator could treat such an idea as a legitimate subject for political debate.
Brown rejected the notion that being gay is incompatible with being a person of faith and emphasized strongly that a person’s sexuality does not dictate their honesty, capability or moral responsibility. A Liberal senator also stated it was important to “shine a light” on the statements made by One Nation members so Australian voters could be informed.
Why This Matters
Under Australian law, the federal Sex Discrimination Act renders discrimination based on sexual orientation unlawful across major areas of public life. These protected areas include employment, education, accommodation and access to goods and services. Additionally, the Australian Human Rights Commission holds the position that all individuals possess the same fundamental human rights regardless of their sexual orientation.
While no formal proposal to strip legal protections or establish an official policy to ban gay people was announced in the video segment from the conference, the discussion itself has been flagged as problematic by rights advocates who argue that debating such measures undermines democratic principles. The controversy underscores how misinformation and controversial rhetoric from elected officials can distort public understanding of issues with real consequences.
What Happens Next
The release of this footage has renewed debate over equality and the standards expected of federal lawmakers in Australia. That position on abortion, which Roberts promised to push One Nation toward supporting a blanket ban, appears to conflict directly with Pauline Hanson’s previously stated approach to abortion policy.
A Roy Morgan poll published on Tuesday, 21 July 2026 showed One Nation’s primary vote had dipped 5.5 per cent to 22.5 per cent, while the coalition registered an increase of three per cent to 23 per cent and Labor was unchanged on 27.5 per cent.
In that meeting, we got the opportunity to explain to Malcolm where our position was. The gathering continues to draw public attention to the statements made at the conference as political parties navigate shifting voter sentiments ahead of future elections.