Mark Burge lives in Wagga and doesn’t like the idea of puberty blockers. Photo: Facebook.
Conservative minor party Family First has announced a candidate to run for the seat of Riverina – a man who says he will not be talking with mainstream media at this stage.
Mark Burge, who works in IT for Wagga Council, will take on longstanding sitting MP Michael McCormack at the upcoming federal election on 3 May.
Region asked Mr Burge to speak with us so we could let people know about what he stands for and why people should vote for him, an offer we have extended to other candidates. However, he declined to do so.
“Thanks for reaching out. I’m going to stick with direct forms of media [i.e. social media] at present, allowing me to interact and represent myself directly with constituents,” he said.
Mr Burge’s Facebook page has posted that he believes there are “two sexes, no genders” and that he opposes the use of puberty blockers and biological-born males participating in women’s sports.
He has also weighed in on the energy debate.
“China dwarfs our resource usage in every way by comparison and continues to increase their usage at a rapid rate,” he posted.
“We literally wouldn’t make a dent in global emissions if we simply ceased to exist tomorrow.
“We should not keep sending our coal to China and shuttering our own plants while we cripple our ability to generate cheap energy – the fundamental cost component in running our economy.”
Veteran Australian National University (ANU) political scientist John Warhurst says the tactic of not talking to mainstream media during an election campaign is unconventional.
“It seems an own goal as far as candidates are concerned, unless they think there’s a particular bias by a journalist or a media outlet,” Professor Warhurst said.
“You generally need to take publicity wherever you can get it.
“From time to time, I’ve found right-wing candidates decline to attend community forums because they feel organisers are left wing and the odds are stacked against them … but it seems illogical.”
According to a biography on the Family First website, Mr Burge was born and raised on the rural South Coast of NSW before studying and launching his IT career in Western Sydney.
“Returning to the regions, he has now called the Riverina home for over twenty years. Previously residing in Gundagai and Junee, he currently lives with his wife and daughter on the outskirts of Wagga Wagga,” the blurb reads.
“He has successfully delivered large and complex IT projects and leads teams toward improvement and efficiency. He seeks to place his faith at the centre of his life and to grow God’s kingdom by pointing people to Him and serving others in His name.”
Family First’s national director is high-profile conservative activist Lyle Shelton, a former managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby.
The party’s stated goal is: “To build a political movement that will fight for and sustain the social and economic well-being of the nation by promoting family, life, faith, freedom, enterprise and subsidiarity.”
