Bernardi resigns but makes no apology

19 Sep 2012, 6:07 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Senator Cory Bernardi has resigned from a senior coalition role but has not apologised over his controversial comments on gay marriage.

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Controversial Liberal senator Cory Bernardi may have quit Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's frontbench team but he isn't offering an apology for linking gay marriage to sex with animals.

Senator Bernardi sparked uproar when he suggested in the Senate on Tuesday that legalising same-sex marriage could lead to calls for the legalisation of bestiality and polygamy.

Mr Abbott announced on Wednesday he had accepted the South Australian's resignation as his personal parliamentary secretary after a "fairly forthright" conversation.

While Mr Abbott made it clear he gave Senator Bernardi little choice but to step down and said he would prefer he did not "dabble" in the issue again, he linked the decision to party discipline.

"I've known Cory for a long time. He's a decent bloke with strong opinions," the leader told reporters.

"But discipline is critical. Team play is vital. And that's what Cory has had some problems with. And that's why I thought it was very important to act quickly and decisively."

Senator Bernardi later issued a brief statement explaining his decision to step down but he expressed no regret or remorse for his comments.

"I have taken this decision in the interests of the coalition," he said.

"My focus is now on directing my time and energy to representing the people of South Australia."

During the upper house debate on Tuesday night, Senator Bernardi queried the next step if same-sex marriage was legalised.

"Is having three people that love each other should be able to enter into a permanent union endorsed by society, or four people?" he told the chamber.

"There are even some creepy people out there, who say that it's OK to have consensual sexual relations between humans and animals. Will that be a future step?"

Senator Bernardi - who has been at the centre of controversy before over his conservative views on Islam, asylum seekers and climate change - flew out of Canberra on Wednesday to attend a summit of young conservatives in England.

As parliament's lower house overwhelmingly defeated a Labor backbencher's bill to legalise same-sex marriage, the government accused Mr Abbott of acting against Senator Bernardi for political reasons rather than reasons of principle.

"The problem with the comments weren't that they were ill-disciplined," Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese said.

"The problem is they were bigoted and they were disrespectful."

But Mr Abbott stressed he did not share Senator Bernardi's views.

"They're views that I think many people would find repugnant," he said.

Brendan Nelson first gave Senator Bernardi a shadow parliamentary secretary role in 2007 but Malcolm Turnbull demoted him in 2009 after he made claims about a fellow Liberal MP in his blog.

Mr Abbott returned him to the coalition frontbench team after toppling Mr Turnbull in late 2009.

Mr Turnbull led the Liberal backlash against Senator Bernardi on Wednesday.

"It's hysterical, it's alarmist, it's offensive and it does not represent the mainstream view of Australian people, let alone the Liberal party," he said.

Senator Arthur Sinodinos - a former chief of staff to prime minister John Howard - will now take Senator Bernardi's place as parliamentary secretary to Mr Abbott.

Lower house MP Jamie Briggs will take over his role as parliamentary secretary for families.

Former South Australian senator Nick Minchin was the only prominent Liberal to publicly defend Senator Bernardi, calling his resignation unnecessary.

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Your Comments

Stuck in the past...

J C Denton - from Adelaide, 8 months ago

Can we please just fast forward 10 years so we can get progress on this important issue, it's dragging on since many pollies ate stuck in the 1950's Polls consistently show the majority of the population support same sex marriage, though the church does a good job of making itself a vocal MINORITY, love thy neighbor hey? Though I guess you choose to ignore that one.

Marriage

Moe - from Glenroy, 8 months ago

Bernardi had every right of freedom of speech and believe the majority of the population will agree with him. Simply put, marriage can only be between a MAN and a WOMAN!

Some real issues

Lost because - from Brisbane, 8 months ago

Cory, I'm not a fan of these acts either but they exist in same sex attracted or opposite sex attracted scenarios. I so wish that people like you with power in our community could get over same sex attraction and realise it is mutual attraction and not in need of the concern it is given. You people have power to stop inappropriate sexual interaction such as adults with children. Child sexual abuse is an epidemic in our society. When will you pay attention to that? Children die as a result.

What the!!!

John - from Brisbane, Queensland, 8 months ago

The changing of the marriage act is in response to the moral degradation of our society and the value of marriage and family since the 60's We will not see the consequences of our decision for another 10 years and by that time our society will be worse off than its ever been. If the Marriage Act and other fundamental core values change in Australia I will renounce my Australian citizenship and leave, as I could not possibly bring kids up here. You guys really screwed Australia up...

"a decent bloke" with such repugnant opinions!

Mona - from Australia, 8 months ago

By implication, was Bernardi saying that gay sex is akin to bestiality? No, but it sure felt like it. You gotta hand it to Abbott tho' for the action he took. Was Abbott sincere? Abbott's interview smacked more of glossing over, protecting a Liberal. Now, sacking Bernardi from the Liberal party, Abbott would get my vote, but then morality aside, Abbott still needs Bernardi's vote more, very much so, in a hung parliament. Let's hope we get a moral, majority, parliament at the next election.

hmmm

Yousif - from Sydney, 8 months ago

After a decade of rubbish in the name of National Security, we are now to feel the full rath of the Freedom of Expression. Except this time, the nominated "expression" can go both ways so has an inbuilt safeguard to protect the western way. I mean why he had to go when he was merely expressing himself while others are given the green light to insult 20% of the global population?

Not the sharpest tool in the shed are we cory

mark - from moonta, 8 months ago

Bernadi should resighn from the liberal party he is a nutter.We do not need politicians in this country with his views he is more suited to the extreme right wing tea party in america.

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