More Liberals, DLP weigh in on Bernardi furore
REMARKS in new book聽The Conservative Revolution by South Australian Liberal Senator continue to draw in his Liberal party colleagues, while Democratic Labor Party Senator John Madigan has stepped forward to defend the remarks as brave.
Madigan, who last month made moves to investigate a referendum on same-sex marriage, has publicly applauded 聽Bernardi’s comments, affirming the DLP’s positions in support of “traditional marriage” and against abortion.
Madigan said the criticisms faced by Bernardi represented “an element that does not believe in freedom of expression”.
An outspoken supporter of LGBTI issues including marriage equality, Liberal Senator Sue Boyce earlier this week accused Bernardi of lacking compassion and “genuine Christianity” in launching his attacks.
Boyce compared Bernardi’s views on same-sex relationships and abortion to those held by conservative Muslims, a group also singled out for criticism in the controversial book, Fairfax Media reported.
She also said while Bernardi was entitled to his views, they were not representative of a majority within the Liberal Party.
Boyce’s remarks follow similar criticisms by another occasional LGBTI ally within the party, MP Warren Entsch.
“He’s obviously got an obsession with people that are gay … It worries me. You’ve really got to watch out for those that have these obsessions. He who protests the loudest鈥�” Entsch told Fairfax Media.
Bernardi is reportedly seeking legal advice over Entsch’s comments.
Bernadi is an extremist whacko – the implications of his comments involve hatred and evil – he is an evil scourge and should be treated as the pariah he is.
Senator Madigan’s comment, that criticisms faced by Bernardi represented “an element that does not believe in freedom of expression”, is absurd. This wrongly conflates criticism with censorship. Bernardi was free to express his views. Everyone else was free to respond with theirs. It seems as if Bernardi and his fellow travellers can dish out but they can’t take it. Free speech does not mean you get to dictate how people react to your opinion.