Opposition leader says 'I'm not someone who wants to see radical change based on the fashion of the moment'

This article is more than 7 years old

This article is more than 7 years old

Tony Abbott has come under fire for describing gay marriage as "the fashion of the moment", while defending his opposition to legislating on the issue.

The comments come one day after the opposition leader described a young Liberal candidate, Fiona Scott, as having sex appeal.

Abbott, appearing on a Sydney radio station, was discussing his view that marriage is between a man and a woman.

"I'm not saying our culture, our traditions are perfect but we have to respect them," he told John Laws at 2SM.

"My idea is to build on the strength of our society and I support, by and large, evolutionary change. I'm not someone who wants to see radical change based on the fashion of the moment."

Abbott later clarified his position, saying that, while gay marriage was important, it was not the only significant issue facing Australia.

He said he was not suggesting gay marriage was a "fad" but then rejected the suggestion that legalising such unions was "inevitable".

"I don't believe it is," he said. And he likened the issue to republicanism, saying many people had once thought it was inevitable that Australia would throw off the royal family, and they were wrong.

Abbott's gay sister Christine Forster tweeted: "Everyone knows my brother @tonyabbottMHR & I have different views on marriage equality."

The deputy prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said Abbott's comments on Scott and gay marriage were both "deeply offensive" and went to his character.

"To define sexual orientation as fashion of the moment will be deeply offensive to many Australians," Albanese said.

It was another difficult day for Abbott, who had just finished defending his comments on Scott, the Liberal candidate for Lindsay.

Abbott said his daughters described their father's comments about Scott as "having a dad moment, perhaps a daggy dad moment".

Scott defended Abbott, saying the Coalition leader and his family had been very supportive of her career.

"It is a shame in our political life that a man can't give a woman a compliment in a light-hearted moment," she told 2GB's Ray Hadley. "People want to see more light-hearted moments in politics."

She said she had not received any calls from her female friends or family questioning the remarks and countered that the prime minister was simply trying to score "cheap political points".

"My brothers thought it was funny and everyone who saw it, saw it for what it was, a light- hearted moment," she said.

The prime minister, Kevin Rudd, also entered the debate over Abbott's comments – in which the Liberal leader said of Scott and her Liberal predecessor in the seat of Lindsay Jackie Kelly: "They're young, they're fiesty, I can probably say they have a bit of sex appeal."

Rudd said Abbott's remark was "pretty odd to be blunt" and that sexism, racism and homophobia had no place in modern Australia.

"If any male employer stood up in a workplace and pointed to any female staff member and said, 'This person is a good staff member because they've got sex appeal,' I think people would be scratching their heads and the employer would be finding themselves in serious strife," Rudd said.

Greens MP Adam Bandt said the debate around sexism in the past three years could potentially discourage women from entering politics.

"People should be judged on the quality of their character," Bandt said. "The treatment of Gillard would not be have been dished out to a bloke. The state of debate is potentially going the way that will discourage women for running."