Springborg comments off with the fairies

By Toby Longhurst

Deputy leader of the Opposition, Lawrence Springborg has denied that he has made any homophobic comments after coming under fire from sections of Queensland's LGBT community for describing Queensland union leaders as “fairies” and Pansies”.

Speaking about the lack of response from union leaders to the Bligh Government's decision to sell off a number of State owned assets, Mr Springborg told ABC News,

“The unions at the weekend proved them selves to be a gutless bunch of fairies”

Days later, Mr Springborg addressed Parliament with a bouquet of pansies, introducing them as the new floral emblem for Queensland's union movement.

“For many people in Queensland this is a humble punnet of pansies, but for the Queensland union movement it has far more significance. This is their new floral emblem” Mr Springborg said.

He continued, “If anything signifies the gutlessness and weak-kneed nature of the jelly backs in the Queensland union leadership more than a punnet of pansies, I do not know what it is.”

Andrew Dettmer, President of the Queensland Labor Party told QNews that he believed Mr Springborg's comments were homophobic and deeply offensive and that such comment had no place in public life in Australia.

“I was shocked to hear the comments made by Lawrence Springborg, and could not believe that he would consider the use of such degrading comments to be acceptable” Mr Dettmer said.

 “This is a bloke who has been rejected by the people of Queensland three times. He aspires to high office but then makes comments like these. By doing so he only sullies himself and sullies the party that he purports to represent.”

Mr Springborg has denied that his comments had any homophobic undertones to them whatsoever, telling QNews that both words also have other meanings including a person who is gutless and weak.

“I was very clear about the intent with which I was using them; the definition with which I was using them; and the audience to which I was directing them”, Mr Springborg said.

“My intention was to correctly convey the definition of union bosses as being weak, pathetic, spineless and without fight”

“Indeed, might I say that on the occasions that same-sex issues have come before the Queensland Parliament, the GLBT movement has shown more fight and more spine (and I would like to use another phrase, but won't), than the Queensland union bosses did when Ms Bligh and Labor revealed their privatisation and wage-cutting plans.”