John Howard, a master in the art of persuasion, gave a masterclass yesterday.

Campaigning with Warringah candidate Katherine Deves, who many in the Liberal Party want dis-endorsed for her views on biology, Howard stepped up to the microphone and said what too few have had the courage to say.

‘The idea that young girls should have to compete with biological males is absurd. I think most people feel this way. That’s not insensitive, that’s just a statement of the bleeding obvious.’

The intervention of our second longest serving Prime Minister and a Liberal hero should give pause for thought to the so-called ‘modern Liberals’ who have been trying to destroy Deves.

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean and federal member for North Sydney, Trent Zimmerman, had been calling for her to be dis-endorsed as a candidate.

So much for party loyalty. If conservatives behaved like this they would be expelled from the party but the ‘moderates’ always get a leave pass.

Even Scott Morrison baulked when Deves came under fire and said the Liberals had no plans for a government bill to save women’s sports from the intrusion of biological males.

Deves has only recovered from the leftist pile-on thanks to the intervention of another former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, indigenous Country Liberal Senate candidate Jacinta Price, Sky News Australia, and now Mr Howard.

But it’s been a close-run thing as Deves’ candidacy has elevated the pressing issues of girls’ and women’s rights, the protection of children from harmful LGBTQ+ gender-fluid ideology, and pushed freedom of speech to the centre of national debate.

Neither Labor nor Liberal wanted ‘culture war’ issues discussed but both Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese have been forced to answer the question ‘what is a woman?’

Both gave the right answer although Albo is yet to be quizzed on why its ALP policy to provide taxpayer-funded sex change operations to young people.

Deves was given no chance against Teal ‘independent’ Zali Steggall but now, thanks to the saturation media coverage given her as part of the left’s campaign to destroy her, polling show’s she’s in with a chance.

Commonsense lives in mainstream Australia and even if Deves falls short, woke elites have been given a black eye.

The push-back must continue because the LGBTQ+ political movement is vehemently anti-free speech. Totalitarianism is of course harmful to democracy.

John Howard has a long track record of standing up to LGBTQ+ politics and it’s a shame more politicians don’t follow his lead.

In 2011, as the push for same-sex marriage was gathering steam he told graduates at a liberal arts college:

‘Changing the definition of marriage, which has lasted for time immemorial, is not an exercise in human rights and equality; it is an exercise in de-authorising the Judeo-Christian influence in our society, and any who pretend otherwise are deluding themselves.’

In a 2017 interview with the Australian, Howard said of the gender-fluid indoctrination program ‘safe schools’, ‘What’s disappointed me is an issue like Safe Schools. When that emerged, it should have been hit on the head by centre-right governments at federal and state level. It should have been a simple and vigorous response.’

Hopefully, Howard’s latest intervention will stiffen the spines of politicians who have been too timid to stand up to the radical demands of LGBTQ+ political activists and their champions in the media.

Lyle Shelton blogs at lyleshelton.com.au