Senator Abetz went further, saying that lots of gay men didn't really want to get married and pointed out that Italian fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana never married, The Australian Financial Review reported. Dumped cabinet minister Eric Abetz. Credit:Andrew Meares "Eric told the party room the view among gays was not uniform," a source said. Sources quoted Senator Abetz as telling the party room: "Lots of homosexuals don't want to get married, Dolce & Gabbana never got married". In March this year, Italian magazine Panorama's website quoted Sicily-born Dolce, whose brand has long counted Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Naomi Campbell among clients, as saying: "You are born and you have a father and a mother. Or at least it should be like this, that's why I am not convinced by chemical children, synthetic babies, wombs for rent."

Dolce and Gabbana, who are now business partners after their romantic relationship ended, later said they had been talking about their own opinions and had not meant to judge others' behaviour. Stefano Gabbana, left, and Domenico Dolce. Credit:Getty Images "We believe firmly in democracy and we think freedom of expression is essential for that. We talked about our way of looking at the world, but it was not our intention to express a judgment on other people's choices. We believe in freedom and love," Gabbana said in a statement. Senator Abetz issued a statement on Wednesday labelling reports about his comments as "simply false". "My view is well known. As I said at a public forum in Hobart last week, not all members of the gay community have the same view on this question."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Senator Abetz was "a clown" when asked about the comments on Wednesday. "That shows you how out of touch Mr Abbott's Liberals are," Mr Shorten said. "They are so out of touch. I am staggered you have got the most senior, or the second most senior Liberal in the Senate coming up with those sort of half-baked arguments." Senator Abetz has been vocal about his opposition to same-sex marriage in the past. Last month, he said Australia should not legalise gay marriage because no Asian country had done so. "The Labor Party and other journalists tell us time and time again that we are living in the Asian century. Tell me how many Asian countries have redefined marriage," Senator Abetz said at the time during an interview on ABC radio.

He also described marriage equality as "the latest fad" and claimed it would lead to polyamory. Senator Abetz also criticised Hobart City Council in June for passing a motion expressing support for same-sex marriage. Follow us on Twitter