Western Australia-Parminder Singh, who was the number-three candidate on One Nation’s ticket for the Western Australian Legislative Council (upper house) at the 2025 state election (and was not elected), made the remarks in an interview with Perth comedian and content creator Jasky Singh (known as Mr Sikkant). When asked if people are born gay, he replied: “No, no, it’s a mental illness.” He also said he blamed parents for being “too busy,” opposed marriage equality (legalised in Australia in 2017), claimed gay parades “advertise” sexuality to young people, and made other related comments (including about women in same-sex relationships and comparisons involving animals).
In a statement, Singh apologised, saying: “I’m sorry I hurt people… I was repeating something I had heard people saying on social media about homosexuality being a mental illness. I should not have presented that as a fact. I respect everyone, and I believe every person in Australia should be free to live their life with dignity, equality and respect.” He stood by his opposition to “advertisement” of sexuality and education on the topic in primary schools, and claimed he had told the interviewer not to publish the material (though the comedian said drafts were provided beforehand and no such request was made). Some related videos were later taken down.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson swiftly distanced herself, stating the comments did not align with her views, that Singh was no longer a candidate, and that “they’re not my views.” His profile was removed from the party’s website. One Nation’s WA leader Rod Caddies said the interview did not reflect the party’s views and that gay people deserve to feel “equal in society.” Federal One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce also condemned the remarks as “highly offensive,” noted the website removal as a “strong statement,” and described One Nation as “one of the gayest parties in Australia,” citing a large proportion of gay members who “don’t want to be glorified [or] vilified.”
The comments drew strong criticism from WA politicians and LGBTQIA+ advocates. Openly gay Labor minister John Carey called them extreme, divisive, and nasty, describing them as consistent with a pattern in One Nation candidate selection and expressing concern about impacts on young people. Others, including Equality Australia’s Anna Brown and Living Proud Inc, labelled the views outdated, baseless, harmful, and inconsistent with medical and community understanding that sexuality is part of human diversity.
Singh (also referred to in some reports as Parminder “Parry” Singh Manj), an Indian-born business owner who had previously been involved in local government, had been featured positively by the party in earlier materials. The episode unfolded amid ongoing political coverage in mid-August 2026, including references to a Secret Harbour by-election in which he had been involved in campaigning support. This matches the details in recent ABC News and other Australian reporting from 12–14 August 2026.
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