NSW Upper House candidate Lyle Shelton will work to cancel cancel culture following the sacking of ClubsNSW CEO John Landis yesterday.

“John Landis was wrong to assert Premier Dominic Perrotet’s 'Catholic gut' was only reason he championed poker machine reform.

“But Landis shouldn’t have been sacked,” Mr Shelton, a Family-First backed independent candidate who supports gambling reform said.

“Cancel culture has gone too far.

“Why can’t we just debate the merits of an issue? Why does someone who offends an identity group have to walk the plank?”

Mr Shelton said what was unique about yesterday’s incident was the Catholic church, normally ridiculed publicly with impunity, was being defended by those calling for Landis’ head to roll.

“Perhaps sympathy has turned towards the church after the unjust imprisonment of the late Cardinal Pell and another ABC biased hit job on Catholics on Monday night’s Four Corners show.

“Just as Andrew Thorburn should not have been sacked as CEO from Essendon football club because of his association with Christian views on marriage and human rights for the unborn, neither should Landis have been sacked for commenting on the Premier’s religious motivations.

“It’s fair enough to ask what motivates a politician even though Landis was wrong to assume the Premier was simply applying blind faith to public policy.”

Mr Shelton said it was uncertain whether Premier Perrottet’s religious beliefs have figured in his championing of a cashless debit card to help problem gamblers and stomp out money laundering in poker machines.

Many of the lobbyists for gambling reform, including the Reverend Tim Costello and Wesley Mission’s Stu Cameron were Christian ministers motivated by their faith’s concern for people exploited by addictive poker machines that are rigged to cause loss.

“Often there is a faith motivation of concern for the vulnerable mixed with facts and evidence,” Mr Shelton said.

“But no one could accuse Perrottet of using his ‘Catholic gut’ instincts when it comes to the Liberals’ funding Sydney World Pride, a festival whose ‘Pride-Affiliated’ events promote animal fetishes and target children,” Mr Shelton said.

The Liberals in this term also helped facilitate abortion-to-birth and euthanasia legislation. Not enough “Catholic gut” instinct was applied to trying to stop either as the late Cardinal Pell observed, although Perrottet did vote against both.

“The Greens bring their pantheistic “Gaia” beliefs to Parliament. Everyone has a worldview which informs their decision-making,” Mr Shelton said.

“There’s nothing wrong with a religious motivation. In fact Christian charity has been one of the greatest forces for good when applied in politics – just ask the African slaves of
William Wilberforce’s time.

“It would be great if the Christians in the NSW Parliament were consistent in their application of their religious instincts. “But no one should lose their job for trying to discern the motivation of a politician, even if they are accusing the politician of ‘blind faith’.”