Menzies House

Cory Bernardi tells Malcolm Turnbull to either quit advocating gay marriage or quit frontbench

Via ABC

 

Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi has called on former Liberal leader and current Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to stop publicly advocating gay marriage or quit the ministry.

"If Malcolm Turnbull wants to talk about fringe issues outside party policy, he should resign from the frontbench," Senator Bernardi told the ABC.

"Our longstanding party position is that marriage is between a man and a woman.

"Our frontbenchers need to reflect that in any comments they make.

"When you are a frontbencher there is no room for a personal view."

On the weekend, Mr Turnbull said the Coalition should allow a conscience vote on gay marriage, which he would "certainly" vote for.

Well done, Cory Bernardi.

 

 

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Equality of Treatment versus Equality of Label

 

Sherry Sufi argues that the passing of the Same Sex Relationships Act and the lack of institutional discrimination against same-sex couples demonstrates that the battle for the equality of treatment for gays and lesbians has already been won in Australia, and the government redefining marriage is "a perfidious and futile attack on language"

Rigorous debate over the status of same-sex relationships has come to pervade Australia's national consciousness in recent years. The far-left demands that gay and lesbian couples be included within the existing definition of marriage and a 'no' for an answer usually leads to emotional outbursts coupled with accusations of homophobia and bigotry. The far-right defends marriage as a fundamentally Judeo-Christian institution that forms the bedrock of modern Western society and maintains that its definition should be preserved as the union between a man and a woman. Exceptions aside, overall the centre-left and the centre-right remain opposed to any changes to the current Marriage Act (1961) and Marriage Amendment Act (2004). When tensions flare up, representatives from each of the two major political parties tend to come forward reassuring the public that the only way to bring this debate to a resolve is through a conscience vote.

Why liberals should oppose same-sex marriage

With such a provocative title, many people on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate shall likely be upset, but there should be no apologies for stating the facts, writes Michael Smyth

People have made the comment that Marriage is not exclusively a religious institution, but while this may be technically correct, it is a highly disingenuous statement.  A friend of mine has pointed out that in the old Roman Republic, the State presided over ceremonies, but what he failed to point out - possibly out of genuine ignorance of history and the institution of the Cursus Honorum - is that the ceremonial head of the republic (or in modern political parlance, paramount leader) was an official known as the Pontifex Maximus.  This Pontifex was head of all of the religions within the Roman Republic/Empire, and as such, when Constantine the Great converted to Christianity, Christianity was included in those religions which he presided over as Pontifex Maximus.  This demonstrates that the State only authorised marriages permitted under those religions, not to mention the fact that Roman Law only recognised marriages between male and female Roman citizens.

 

Rudd - a deeply religious man?

EXLUSIVE:

by Jim McCrudden

Kevin Rudd outshone shabbiness last night when he attacked a pastor on Q&A for saying that homosexual marriage was wrong.

He had the trivial smartarse response ready that the Bible also approved slavery, so the Bible wasn't always a good guide.

That wisecrack has been around for yonks and persists in left, secular, and homosexual publications. 

The Tele reported the incident while saying that Rudd was a "deeply religious" man.

Redefining marriage isn’t a vote winner in Blair

Blair MP Shayne Neumann isn’t on board with his leader Kevin Rudd on same-sex marriage. Or as he told The Queensland Times, “Last time I voted against same-sex marriage when the legislation came before the House of Representatives...and I haven’t changed my position. I canvassed the electorate widely with 700 people getting back to me...and 585 were opposed to same-sex marriage and 115 were in favour. I sat on the committee that looked at the legislation...and I was unconvinced by the arguments. If the same legislation came before the house again I wouldn’t change my mind.” 

In key battlegrounds such as the southern Queensland seat of Blair, Rudd’s pontifications on same-sex marriage could cost Labor votes, especially among serious Christians. After all, when 83.57% of your respondents oppose “gay marriage” you can’t just wish them away.

Numbers don't warrant political fuss

Gay marriage – Rudd’s only debate promise  

EXCLUSIVE:

Bertel Torsten in Canberra

Last week (“Gay marriage – not a guarantee”) I wrote about the gay marriage issue which crosses the major party divide and showed what a divisive issue it was. Strong and opposing views are held by individuals within the same party and, demonstrably, this issue is one which could lose as many votes as it might win.

In the leaders’ debate on Sunday night, the only new promise that PM Rudd made was that his re-elected government would, within its first one hundred days, bring forward legislation to allow for same sex marriage.

When this issue was raised, tweets hit a peak of 1,952 per minute at 7.25 AEST. It was Rudd’s only moment of transient glory.

The gay vote - not a guarantee

EXCLUSIVE:

by Bertel Torsten in Canberra

A few days ago, the ALP Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory, Andrew Barr, urged his party to make same sex marriage an election issue, claiming that it could help Labor win seats.

Barr, who is openly gay, identified specifically the seats of Brisbane, Denison, Melbourne and Melbourne Ports. According to his website, one of his “proudest achievements” was in 2011 when, with Finance Minister Penny Wong – also openly gay – he successfully moved a motion at the ALP National Conference supporting gay marriage.

The Silly Putty Polly

Kevin Rudd thinks that he can recreate himself simply by supposing it to be so.

It is the same as sitting in a garage and whispering, “I’m an Alfa Romeo, I’m an Alfa Romeo, I’m an Alfa Romeo, Brmmm, Brmmm, BRMMM!”

Julia Gillard is similar. She morphs from time to time into new personas, the last two changes made with the aid of very simple props – specs.

In New Julia with Specs #1 she was the steely eyed, jaw jutting defiant Julia, Destiny’s Mistress and re-incarnation of Catherine the Great.

In New Julia with Specs#2 she was the soft Julia. Granny Julia in a comfy chintzy chair bathed in subdued lighting with Vaseline smeared over the lens; peacefully knitting with that sleepy happy look that is only seen on the face of one who has downed a couple of Mandies with a full bottle of Chivas Regal.