Tony Abbott has forced the resignation of his parliamentary secretary, the right-wing South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi, after Bernardi compared gay marriage to bestiality in the Senate debate over the same-sex marriage bill, and then repeated the comments on radio this morning.
The resignation comes after Malcolm Turnbull (who dismissed Bernardi when he was opposition leader for his attack on rival SA Liberal Christopher Pyne) savaged him, describing his comments as hysterical, alarmist and offensive.
Abbott couched the issue in terms of discipline, insisting Bernardi had been “undisciplined”, but agreeing in response to questions that many people would find them “repugnant” and that he didn’t want Bernardi to “dabble” in the area again.
Bernardi told the Senate last night “these creepy people say it is okay to have consensual s-xual relations between humans and animals. Will that be a future step? In the future will we say, ‘These two creatures love each other and maybe they should be able to be joined in a union’.”
Bernardi has repeatedly expressed extreme views on issues such Muslim Australians and climate change — and at each spray, some of the Coalition’s more centrist MPs have grumbled about the need for Abbott to pull him into line and the damage done to the party’s reputation. Until now, Abbott hasn’t — and some MPs thought that was because, privately, Abbott tended to agree with Bernardi. This move today is a victory of sorts for Turnbull over Abbott.
The controversy continues a bad period politically for Abbott, who has come under increasing pressure over his performance and claims about his behaviour as a student. Nonetheless, Abbott has skilfully used the removal of Bernardi to take some pressure off another long-running problem, his talented backbench and the lack of opportunities for promotion. Abbott has promoted two of his stronger backbenchers: Arthur Sinodinos to replace Bernardi as his parliamentary secretary, and Jamie Briggs has finally been promoted, to parliamentary secretary for Families.
“This will make a strong team stronger,” said Abbott, correctly. Bernardi was an extremist and a liability, and his removal per se improves the Coalition frontbench; that Sinodinos and Briggs get to step up is a bonus.
Even though Bernardi was sacked for saying exactly what Tony Abbott thinks, it’s a good move politically.
Some members of the electorate may be convinced that the Liberals will clamp down on extremism even after the election. To their peril.
“…and his removal per se improves the Coalition frontbench”
So, still to go, just Andreews, Robb, Dutton, Mirabella, Bishop, Morrison….. Oh dear, I’ve run out of ink!
It’s about time this cretin got the chop, interesting though that Turnbull took the opportunity to push himslef forward yet again. To me there is now much more chance of a change in lib leadership than in the ALP.
I do wonder why Mr Keane has to find some praise for Abbott at the end though with “Abbott has skilfully used the removal of Bernardi to take some pressure off another long-running problem, his talented backbench and the lack of opportunities for promotion.” Firstly why is it that skilful to promote 2 people to replace someone who has had to be sacked and second he has so many duds on that front bench he has plenty of opportunity to promote backbenchers if he wanted to.
Sancho – “Even though Bernardi was sacked for saying exactly what Tony Abbott thinks, it’s a good move politically.” It is a good move but to me he botched it by saying that it was for ill discipline. This conveys the message that he needs discipline to win the next election and that is his number 1 priority over and above rebuking a team member for offensive acts
So Tony Abbott isn’t worried about what he said, only that it didn’t suit the Coalition to say it at this time! Was he waiting until after the election to inflict his views on the country?