Stuff co.nz 15 June 2014
Orlando Burcham is 11 years old, has three mums, wants to be prime minister one day, and is something of a global phenomenon after giving Tony Abbott a piece of his mind on the subject of gay marriage.
The Australian Prime Minister, according to the Cessnock primary school student, is wrong. Orlando wants to meet him to tell him so – boy to man.
“He just doesn’t understand. If he’s Prime Minister, he should understand,” he said.
Orlando’s letter to Mr Abbott and the reply he received last week went viral after his mother, Cessnock councillor and Liberal branch vice-president Cordelia Troy, put them on her Facebook page.
His harsh assessment of Mr Abbott’s opposition to gay marriage – “You were elected to represent our country, not yourself” – was lead the news item on Australian and international websites, including the prestigious US online site The Huffington Post.
Orlando’s challenge to Mr Abbott – “Doesn’t our opinions matter to you? Just because you’re the Prime Minister, which by the way does not give you all the power” – became a rallying cry for Australian supporters of gay marriage.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/10159454/Boy-with-three-mums-challenges-PM