Former One Nation candidate in Australia Parminder Singh has apologized for comments linking gay people to mental illness. After the controversy, the party distanced itself from his statement and his profile was removed from the website.
Sydney: Former One Nation candidate in Australia Parminder Singh has apologized for his controversial remarks linking gay people to mental illness. Political controversy escalated after his remarks and the party distanced itself from him. Former One Nation candidate Parminder Singh in Western Australia has come under political and social criticism after his controversial remarks. He made comments about gay people in a video interview that were widely considered offensive and anti-gay. After the controversy escalated, Singh expressed regret over his statement and apologized and said that he should not have presented it as fact.
what is the whole matter
Parminder Singh contested the 2025 Western Australia state election as a One Nation candidate for a seat in the Legislative Council. However, he could not get elected. He was also campaigning for the party during the recent Secret Harbor by-election. Meanwhile, one of his video interviews surfaced on social media, after which a controversy arose.
Told the basis of what was heard on social media
In the video, when Singh was asked whether he believed that people are born gay, he replied in the negative and linked homosexuality to mental illness. He also said that he had heard such things on social media.
In his later response, Singh admitted that he should not have presented this claim as fact. He said he respects all people and believes every person in Australia should have the freedom to live their life with dignity, equality and respect.
He expressed regret for his remarks, saying he did not intend to insult people. However, after the controversial video surfaced, questions started being raised on his political position.
Comment regarding primary education also
In the controversial interview, Singh was also asked about the parade of gay people and how it affected him personally. He described it as a kind of advertisement for the youth and also objected to the education related to this subject in primary schools.
Singh later said that he accepts and respects all people, but does not like this kind of teaching or presentation in primary schools. He also claimed that he had asked the interviewer not to publish the video.
However, the video’s creator, Perth comedian and content creator Jasky Singh, better known as Mr Sikkant, gave a different take on the claim. According to him, the draft of the video was provided to Singh before it was published and he did not request any part to be removed.
Later some videos were removed from social media. The content creator said that this was done because he wanted to take into account the impact the entire controversy was having on Singh and his family.
One Nation created distance
One Nation distanced itself from Parminder Singh’s comments after the controversy surfaced. The party clarified that Singh’s statements do not represent the views of the party.
One Nation WA leader Rod Cadiz said gay people have the right to feel equal in society. Singh’s profile was also removed from the party’s website.
This development has come at a time when there has been increased surveillance of public comments and social media activities of political party candidates in Australia. Candidates’ personal comments are often linked to their political party’s image and policies.
Candidates have contested in 2025 elections
Parminder Singh was the number three candidate on One Nation’s Legislative Council ticket in the 2025 Western Australia state election. However, he was not successful in winning the election.
Before the current controversy he was involved in campaign activities for the party in the Secret Harbor by-election. After the controversial video became public, his party-related online profile was removed, raising questions about his political future.
One Nation sought to indicate that Singh’s comments did not reflect the party’s official stance. The party emphasized the principle of equality and respect.
Political reaction in Western Australia
Western Australia’s Labor Minister John Carey also reacted to the matter. Carey is openly gay and criticized Singh’s comments, saying he was not surprised to hear such language from One Nation.
Carey alleged that candidates with such views have been getting a chance in One Nation in the past also. He made sharp remarks about the party’s ideology and selection of candidates.
However, One Nation did not accept these allegations and clarified that Singh’s comments did not represent the views of the party. In this way, the issue has gone beyond a personal comment by a candidate and has become an issue of ideological differences in Australian politics.
The controversy does not end even after apology
Despite Parminder Singh’s apology, the controversy does not seem to be ending completely. His statement linking homosexuality to mental illness is widely considered unacceptable from a scientific and social perspective. The World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its classification as a mental illness decades ago.
Taking back his comment, Singh has talked about respect and equality. But questions remain regarding the public responsibility of political candidates. Especially in the age of social media, a candidate’s comments can quickly reach a wide audience and can have an impact on political parties as well.
The case also brings to the fore a broader discussion regarding freedom of expression, political ideology and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Australia. For One Nation, the incident has also become a challenge to clarify the difference between the public image of the candidates and the official position of the party.
At present, Singh has apologized for his remarks and said that he believes in respect and equality of every person. On the other hand, the party has distanced itself from his statement. The controversy has once again raised the question of how careful candidates contesting elections should be regarding their statements on public platforms and social media.