Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi hits out at 'pro-death' abortion, step-families, IR laws

Updated

One of Tony Abbott's backbenchers has accused some women of using abortion as "an abhorrent form of birth control" and labelled those who advocate pro-choice as "pro-death".

Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi has made the comments in his new book, The Conservative Revolution, in which he also calls for more flexible industrial relations laws, including a return to individual workplace agreements whereby penalty rates can be negotiated away.

The Federal Opposition is now urging Prime Minister Tony Abbott to completely disassociate himself from Senator Bernardi's "extraordinary reactionary agenda".

In his book Senator Bernardi rails against non-traditional families, surrogacy and euthanasia and calls on fellow conservatives to help to reverse the trends in social acceptance of changing attitudes.

It is "horrendous and unacceptable" that the abortion "death industry despatches 80,000 to 100,000 unborn children [in Australia] every year," Senator Bernardi writes.

"The political pressure from the left has ushered us into a morbid new world. It is not enough to stop the trend. What is needed is a reversal back to sanity and reason."

Abortion statistics in Australia 60,245 Medicare rebates processed for abortions June 2012 - July 2013

Qld Government estimates that 80,000 women have abortions each year

Vic Health says around one in three Australian women will have an abortion in their lifetime

14.2 out of every 1,000 Australian women had abortions in 2013: UN Note: collection of abortion data in Australia varies for each state and territory. Figures provided are estimates only. Note: collection of abortion data in Australia varies for each state and territory. Figures provided are estimates only.

The number of Medicare rebates processed for abortions between July 2012 and June 2013 is 60,245.

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Senator Bernardi defended his figures on abortion, saying they are based on evidence given by previous health ministers and Senate estimates.

"It's a lot and I don't know anyone in this country that wants to see more abortions; in fact, I think most people would like to see less abortions," Senator Bernardi said.

"I think we need to start to investigate measures and ways in which we can assist in that regard."

Senator Bernardi says the discussion about abortion being a woman's right has been shut down and it needs to be re-opened.

"The question is for everyone in this debate, is where does life begin?" he said.

"For me it's at conception, for other people it is 24 week of gestation, others say it's not until the child is born and a sentient being, some weeks after birth.

"I haven't said we should outlaw or prohibit abortion; I have said there is a right-to-life issue we should be exploring."

Step-families, single parents, surrogate parents singled out for criticism

Senator Bernardi's essay sets out five founding pillars for a "conservative revolution", including restoring the traditional family model to what he says should be its "prime position" over other family types like step-families, same-sex and single families, as well as couples with children born via surrogacy.

"Given the increasing number of 'non-traditional' families, there is a temptation to equate all family structures as being equal or relative," he writes.

"Why then the levels of criminality among boys and promiscuity among girls who are brought up in single-parent families, more often than not headed by a single mother?

"What is missing in the push for human cloning, in vitro fertilisation and surrogacy, for example, is the understanding that children come into families as gifts, not commodities.

"It is perfectly reasonable and rational therefore for the state, if it is to have a role in social policy and the affairs of marriage, to reinforce and entrench those aspects of traditional marriage that work, not undermine them and promote 'alternatives' which have led to social chaos.

"Competent social policy should be drafted by those who understand the primacy of natural law and who are able to see patterns in society."

These are traditional views that have stood the test of time and been developed over successive generations. Cory Bernardi

Senator Bernardi told News Breakfast that the "gold standard" for children's development comes from having a biological mother and father who are married.

He says his book is about fighting the tyranny of political correctness and he says politicians must be prepared to discuss controversial ideas.

Senator Bernardi says his views are not far right, they are "enduring views".

He says his ideas are only controversial according to some elements of the media.

"These are traditional views that have stood the test of time and been developed over successive generations," he said.

"You can't tamper with tradition and not expect there to be adverse consequences.

"I'm making the case about why we should be preserving and protecting these institutions because I think they are important for the future prosperity of our country."

Greens, Islam threatening Christian values; Red Cross breakfasts for kids undermining parental responsibility

He also advocates removing Government welfare designed to assist children from families that experience a breakdown, arguing programs like the Red Cross's Good Start Breakfast Club remove parental responsibility and create a mentality that the state will provide.

Senator Bernardi also laments the absence of religion in politics and its diminished role in society, saying it has left Australia bereft of direction.

"I believe that by stripping God and religious principles from our culture (and our politics) we have become a nation which does not know which port it is sailing to," Senator Bernardi writes.

He argues there are two great threats to faith, and specifically Christianity: the "green agenda" which he believes places plant and animal life above humanity; and Islam, which he says is fundamentally incompatible with the Western way of life.

Comments come from one-time confidante of Prime Minister

Senator Bernardi is an influential member of the Liberal party's right-wing and has been a confidante of the prime minister, serving as Mr Abbott's parliamentary secretary in Opposition until he was demoted in 2012 for a speech in which he said gay marriage could lead to acceptance of bestiality.

His comments are bound to cause controversy for the Prime Minister, who in recent weeks has backed cabinet minister and prominent moderate Malcolm Turnbull in an internal dispute with the South Australian Senator over Mr Turnbull's public support for gay marriage.

Senator Bernardi says he could not comment on what Mr Abbott knows about the views expressed in his book.

In her infamous "blue ties" speech, delivered shortly before she was dumped as prime minister, Julia Gillard warned that "men in blue ties" would seek to make abortion rights their "plaything" if the Coalition won office.

That prompted Mr Abbott to pledge the Coalition had no plans for any change in the area.

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Anthony Albanese speaks with ABC News Breakfast (ABC News)

Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese says Senator Bernardi's comments are "an offensive contribution to the policy debate".

"[Senator Bernardi] says that he's pro-freedom but he's against women's right to control their own bodies," Mr Albanese said.

"He says he's pro-religion but he's against any religion that isn't the same as his. He says he's pro individual rights, but in his advocacy of WorkChoices he would take us back to the Howard era that saw division in the workplace and saw workers discriminated against and rights being taken away.

"He says he's pro-family, but he's against any family that doesn't resemble his depiction of what a family is."

Mr Albanese is calling on Mr Abbott to respond.

"It's now up to Tony Abbott to completely dissociate himself from Mr Bernardi," he said.

Acting Greens leader Richard Di Natale also called for the Prime Minister to condemn the comments.

"No matter how distasteful someone's views might be, they have a legitimate right to express them," he said.

"But those views have no place in a modern political party; they have no place in Australia of today."

Call to give employers free hand to hire and fire

The Coalition has been mute on workplace relations changes ever since John Howard's ill-fated Workchoices, which contributed to the Liberals' defeat in 2007.

Mr Abbott has reiterated that Workchoices is "dead, buried and cremated" during the two subsequent election campaigns, but Senator Bernardi says some parts of Mr Howard's laws warrant resurrection.

"Surely an employee should be free to negotiate an acceptable workplace agreement directly with their employer... free from government or union interference," he writes.

"Small business needs to be empowered to hire and fire employees free of illegitimate government interference."

Topics: liberals, government-and-politics, federal-government, abortion, community-and-society, family-and-children, australia, sa

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