Mr Kearney is clearly very upset about Lewis Freeman-Hamilton running for a seat on the council, after Mr Freeman-Hamilton had the temerity to not wholeheartedly agree with him on the same sex marriage bill.

News flash, Mr Kearney. It is a free country, and one is permitted to hold views of one's own choosing, and furthermore, one is permitted to change those views.

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I certainly have changed my views on a lot of things over the years.

As I have got older and seen more of what is happening in the world, I have become very much more conservative than I once was.

I don't doubt that Mr Freeman-Hamilton has changing and developing views too.

If, as you suggest, young, gay Bendigonians are hurt by Mr Freeman-Hamilton's past actions, they have a simple recourse.

Don't vote for him. Getting angry achieves nothing.

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It is reasonable to expect that council candidates be judged on their public record of community contributions.

Around this time three years ago Bendigo's LGBTQIA community faced daily un-moderated abuse via the Facebook page 'Vote No Australia'. That page was created and run by then 22-year-old Lewis Freeman-Harris, and at one point shut down by the Australian Electoral Council.

Young people especially were the target of his group's vitriol, some of whom continue to live with the consequences of what he conveniently characterises as immature mistakes.

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I am to date unaware of any efforts on the public record of Freeman-Harris either working with the Bendigo LGBTQI community or even apologising for the damage his page actively promoted during what a cruel and divisive period.

We are all of course permitted to learn from our mistakes, but not without consequences and not at the cost of others' well-being; the LGBTQI community is not a learning and growth opportunity.

When political leaders, like Labor's Daniel Andrews, are pulling in nearly $10,000, a week, and have a salary guaranteed by taxpayers, how can you expect them to identify with the fair dinkum battlers in the community?

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