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`We stand by him'
By MALCOLM WEATHERUP and DANIEL BATEMAN
31aug06
THE Queensland Greens are standing by their Townsville candidate John Boucher despite him being charged and fined over a lewd incident in a Pallarenda public toilet.

Boucher, 55, was fined $300 when he pleaded guilty in the Townsville Magistrates Court last Monday to a charge of public nuisance.

Boucher did not appear in court but pleaded guilty by letter.

The court was told detectives were responding to complaints by local residents about activities around the toilet block at Pallarenda when they placed it under surveillance.

Officers saw Boucher approaching from a distance and a plainclothes detective entered the facility a few moments before Boucher arrived.

The officer said Boucher stepped up beside him, unzipped his trousers and put his hands inside his pants and appeared to start masturbating.

The officer said he found the action offensive and arrested and charged Boucher with a count of public nuisance.

The court heard Boucher had admitted what he had done was a 'little bit bad, a little bit silly'.

But Boucher, who is a member of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Anti-Violence Committee, told that it was a case of mistaken intention. He said he had gone to the toilet block to check out reports of violence and harassment.

He admitted he had unzipped his trousers but had done so because he was checking out the reaction of the man who turned out to be the police officer.

Until approached by the Townsville Bulletin for comment, Boucher had not informed the Greens' Brisbane head office of the matter.

The Greens last night took a unanimous decision to stand by Mr Boucher's candidacy.

Greens State election campaign co-ordinator Ian Gittus said they believed the incident was an example of police harassing gay men.

"We believe John was innocent. We take John's word on that," Mr Gittus said.

"It is more proof that what he was investigating was correct," Mr Gittus said.

He said the incident would add more fuel to Mr Boucher's campaign.

"It's not going to stop him from campaigning," Mr Gittus said.

"It's probably going to give him more fight in his campaign and give the Greens an issue that we are very passionate about and we'll stand up and back John on this.

"His branch and the State election committee are all unanimously behind him."

Speaking to the Bulletin last night, Mr Boucher said he valued his party's decision to keep him on as their local candidate.

"I am very encouraged that the Greens are a party who value social justice," he said.

Mr Boucher said people would 'have to make their own minds up' about his campaign.

He said he had been campaigning against police harassment of the gay and lesbian community for years.

When questioned why he had pleaded guilty to the matter or whether he thought he should have informed the Greens' head office of the matter straight away, Mr Boucher said he had not thought it through.

"I didn't think it through well enough, I just didn't think through the issues well enough," Mr Boucher said.

"I should have gotten advice from a lot of people."

He said he was keen to get on with the election.

"I'm keen to be a candidate for the election, and looking for it," Mr Boucher said.