Controversial candidate dumped from Liberal lineup
BREAKING: Controversial Liberal Carston Woodhouse – who described homosexuality and feminism as “demonic” – will no longer be the party’s candidate. Now Hurn wants Labor to deal with its own controversies.
Carston Woodhouse is no longer the Liberal candidate for Wright – currently the seat of Education Minister Blair Boyer, party leader Ashton Hurn said on Thursday afternoon.
Now Hurn wants Premier Peter Malinauskas to “deal” with Health Minister Chris Picton over a leaked email that revealed patients’ confidential information.
Woodhouse has been embroiled in controversy after his comments claiming homosexuality and feminism were “demonic” in an American religious podcast, Elijahfire, in July 2025 were made public by Boyer this week.
Woodhouse was also criticised by the Labor party for saying a Nazi salute penalty was “crazy” and that Islam was “poisonous and wrong”.
“He’s no longer the candidate for the Liberal Party,” Hurn said at a press conference.
“I said yesterday that I didn’t support those views. I don’t support any of the views that I’ve seen reported in the media today, but he is no longer the candidate.”
Hurn did not specify whether Woodhouse was disendorsed by the party or whether he chose to resign, saying she would not go into detail. She said he remained employed by the party.
“He’s still got a contract, and that contract will continue. I’m not across those details, he’s still employed,” she said.
You might like
“I’ve spoken to Carston, and he will no longer be the candidate. I’ve made that pretty clear, and here we are.”
She said his employment was a matter for Liberal headquarters, “but at the end of the day, I’m just focused on what I can do as leader of the parliamentary team to make sure that South Australians know exactly what we stand for”.
“I still maintain that people are entitled to their views. I don’t share those views,” Hurn said.
“What I would say is that whilst I’ve dealt with this matter really decisively, Peter Malinauskas on the other hand, hasn’t dealt with Chris Picton decisively.
“It has been days since the Premier has addressed this matter. We know that over the last few days, we have seen story after story about some really concerning issues within the health system, in particular relating to the leaking and the backgrounding of specific medical information.”
The Premier said earlier this week that he would not accept Picton’s resignation even if he offered it, which he has not. Picton has apologised “unreservedly” for the leak of an email to the media.
Hurn’s comments come after Labor spokesperson Blair Boyer told reporters on Thursday morning that Hurn must take a stand against “extreme views” of homophobia and islamophobia put forward by Woodhouse, his opponent in the seat of Wright.
Liberal Party State Director Alex Hyde said in a statement that he met with Woodhouse, who agreed to withdraw but will “not shirk from his deeply held views”.
“I met with candidate for Wright, Carston Woodhouse and discussed the need for our campaign to remain focused on our policy priorities of affordability, healthcare and crime,” Hyde’s statement said.
“As a result of being asked to step down, and in support of our team and campaign remaining focused, Mr Woodhouse does not shirk from his deeply held views and wants to see the Liberal Party succeed in the election and hold this terrible Labor Government to account.
Stay informed, daily
“The Electoral Commission has been informed of this decision.”
‘Might as well shut the doors on this election’ – Federal Liberal Senator Alex Antic
Hurn said she was not concerned about blowback from the conservative faction of the Liberal party after Woodhouse was stood down, saying “at the end of the day, we’re all working together and focused on getting the important things right for the people of South Australia”.
“I know that journalists like to talk about those inside-the-beltway things. That is not for me. When I became the leader, I made it really clear that I was about unity, and that’s what I’m showing today.”
Her comments came after a Liberal insider told InDaily that Woodhouse was one of many candidates recruited from similar right-leaning religious communities spearheaded by Liberal senator Alex Antic.
“It is so frustrating – unfortunately if this election isn’t hard enough for Ashton Hurn and the Liberal Party it’s made far harder with the [Alex] Antic and [Tony] Pasin (two SA federal Liberal politicians) new recruits who in no way accord or represent modern mainstream values and continue to make the party unelectable,” the Liberal party insider said.
“And just to further exaggerate the decline they turn up holding these fringe and offensive views being employed within the party’s administration.
“With friends like Antic and Pasin and their operatives throughout the party, Ashton and her team don’t need any enemies.”
When approached for comment by InDaily on Thursday morning, Antic refused, saying it was “a waste of time”, but then referenced InDaily in federal parliament.
Antic, who was elected to represent South Australia in the federal upper house, said South Australian media was responsible for an “almighty pile on” Woodhouse, and said the SA Liberals “might as well shut the doors” on the state election.
“This is the party in this country, which apparently stands for freedom of thought, worship and speech and association,” Antic said.
“I haven’t read what this guy [Woodhouse] has said, frankly, because I don’t care about anything that’s written in the media in South Australia.
“But I’ll say this, if this guy is disendorsed, or if he feels compelled to leave, we might as well shut the doors on this election with one week to go.”
Labor education minister Blair Boyer said after Antic’s comments that it showed “Alex Antic and other people run the Liberal Party”.
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
