"If you think that marriage is about respect for woman and nurturing children you should vote 'No,'" Tony Abbott tells SBS Amharic.
"If you are worried about the consequences for parental rights, for freedom of speech, and freedom of religion you certainly should vote 'No.'"
This is the message from a fierce No campaigner in the same-sex marriage debate and a former Prime Minister of Australia to 16 million potential Marriage Law Postal Survey participants.
Tony Abbott is no stranger to controversial national debate.
Despite having a high-profile lesbian sister and a vibrant ‘Yes for Marriage Equality’ campaigner daughter, he is still sending strong messages to his ‘No’ camp base and its ‘Yes’ camp opponents.
When SBS Amharic asked him what his message was to Australia's Ethiopian community in regard to this matter, Abbott said, "This is not just about being nice to gay people."
"It is about some fundamental changes which a whole lot of activists want to make to our society, and I think those changes are dangerous, and I think everyone should think long and hard before going near them."
"If you are worried about the consequences for parental rights, for freedom of speech, and freedom of religion you certainly should vote 'No.'"
On Monday 25th September 2017 the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy’s (ACM's) first Executive Director and the 28th Prime Minister of Australia were keynote speakers for the ACM 18th national conference in Melbourne.
Abbott is also still a staunch defender of the Crown and Constitutional Monarchy system - as shown by his 2014 honoring of Prince Philip with the title of Knight of the Order of Australia following his reintroduction of the Knights and Dames of the Order of Australia.
In his speech, Abbott emphasised that the British monarchy has become a part of the Australian national identity.
"We’ve Australianised the monarchy over the last 200 or so years," said Abbott.
"Once upon a time the Crown was represented by an English man.
"Today, the Crown here in Australia is always represented by a distinguished Australian. Currently, Sir Peter Cosgrove."
With a nod to his own ousting as Prime Minister and the recent years of leadership instability federal politics, Abbott also illustrated the monarchy as a guarantor of stability.
"Having the Crown in our constitution gives us stability which we might otherwise lack," said Abbott. "And having the Crown in our constitution gives people a focus on loyalty that’s above and beyond party politics."
"And I think the more unstable the party politics gets, the more important it is we have the Crown in our constitution."
Abbott also told SBS Amharic of his future plans to defend the Crown and the system of constitutional monarchy against the republican movement if Bill Shorten, the leader of Labor party were to become Prime Minister of Australia.
“If Bill Shorten would ask the people of Australia ‘Should we become a Republic?’ the first question I would say is ‘what sort of Republic?’" said Abbott.
"If it’s a politicians' republic I think I would say ‘No.’"
"And if it’s a people’s republic I think I would say ‘well, I’m not so sure, because a people’s republic in other countries has been really not a good idea.”
The 28th Prime Minister of Australia may continue his march as a torch bearer of the Crown and the constitutional monarchy until the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, and perhaps beyond that, and when the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) announces the result of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey on Wednesday the 15th of November 2017 it may well provide the final litmus test for Tony Abbott’s political career.
Listen to Tony Abbott's full interview with SBS Amharic (in English) in the audio player above.
Related from SBS Amharic:
"Ethiopians help make Australia an even greater country" – Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie
