After Newman's triumph in Queensland he should have the LNP eating out of his hand. And extreme right-wing parties in Queensland have a history of flaring up and petering out rapidly; Katter's mob is no threat to a LNP with eighty (?) per cent of the seats. Methinks this is a beat-up.

"Marriage is about children, including their education and upbringing. "

I missed this bit, but here we go again: after a century or so of conspicuously abusing children at every opportunity, the Catholic Church has suddenly discovered what a wonderful drawcard they are for public support against gay marriage.

Forty or so Victorian men have committed suicide in adulthood after being raped by priests as boys. Why not ask their families just how much the Catholic Church cares for children?

Campbell Newman said before the election that he would lay aside his personal belief on 'gay' marriage and accept the party's decision. Compare this to Gilard who layed aside her personal belief in the carbon tax, advised Rudd to drop it, then stabbed him in the back to usurp leadership, lied to the public and then in did a dirty deal with the Greens. If keeping one's word is not a moral issue then we end up with a farce like we have in Canberra. Hopefully Cambell Newman will keep his word otherwise his integrity is shot.

"And it is a fact of life that authority is diminished once personal principles are abandoned."

But there'd hardly be a voter left in the country who doesn't believe it is a fact of life that personal principles are more or less abandoned once someone becomes a politician or joins a political party.

Still heaps of self-delusion by politicians, I'll grant you.

Not living there, I personally don't give a rat's about Campbell Newman and even less than a rat's about Katter's Australia Party… But if you think your comments are consistent with looking "to this moment for inspiration as we fight for our individual rights, personal freedoms and a fair go for all" then I think some of your personal principles have already abandoned ship.

I couldn't let this go without comment: "…as a practicing Catholic who accepts the teaching of the Church". Be honest, you don't 'accept' it, you 'like' it – even though it is inconsistent with core values of your political party.

Campbell Newman is not the only one faced with a conundrum.

Hi Bernard, as a both a former military person and a KAP strategist you should know full well that your strategy must never be telegraphed.

Campbell Newman’s mandate and the shear size of his majority is one thing, add to that fact that he too is ex-military and it should tell you one thing for absolute certain, and that is he does not have a “conundrum”, you do, especially considering the self harm done by the KAP on this very issue by those abominable adverts.

Of all the issues faced by a military mind, it is the relative weighted value of each challenge that counts. For the Queensland electorates and therefore Campbell Newman, the civil rights issue has a very low RWV by comparison with many more pressing issues.

I strongly suspect that by attempting to escalate this issue to an artificial value, you will do yourself and the KAP more harm than good.

Pick something else very quickly as this one is the march of folly, your all too “visible strategy” suggests that you treat Queensland electorates as too dumb to spot it.

BIG mistake Bernard.

If the reactionary rump of the LNP succeed in overturning the existing legislation regarding civil unions it will confirm once more to the world what has always been suspected about Queensland. The state will be a laughing stock where reactionary prejudice outweighs fundamental human rights and common decency.