Anti-Safe Schools campaigner Marijke Rancie has been elected as a delegate within the Victorian branch of the Liberal party.
Rancie, who featured in the Marriage Coalition’s ‘It’s Okay to Vote No’ TV campaign’, is a prominent campaigner against the anti-bullying program that aims to protect LGBTI youth. The Victorian mother posts on social media as ‘Political Posting Mumma’.
At the Victoria branch of the Liberal party’s state conference Rancie was elected to the junior position of a being a delegate. She is one of several people with strong views against the LGBTI community to be elevated within the party structure.
Infectious diseases expert Dr Ivan Stratov won a seat on the party’s powerful administrative committee. Dr Stratov has previously made controversial comments about people living with HIV.
In 2017 while speaking at an anti-Safe Schools forum in Bendigo, Dr Stratov blamed HIV on people’s decisions.
“I studied a disease called HIV; 35 million people have died from that disease because they all decided they were going to make man’s love, not God’s love,” Dr Stratov reportedly said.
The Age has highlighted that a number of people successful at the conference’s elections are religious ultra-conservatives and from the Church of Latter Day Saints, including Rancie and Srattov.
Rancie commented on her Facebook page saying The Age’s article could be seen as religious vilification.
“The Age are going hard again. I’m not sure how their latest article could not be seen as religious vilification. I’m a “Mormon” and on the right so I’m not offended.” Rancie said.
At the conference Rancie moved a policy to remove the Safe Schools program from all Victorian Schools. The successful motion will now seen the program scrapped if Mathew Guy wins the next Victorian election.
OIP Staff