Conservative Liberal Senator Eric Abetz has said he wants to see balance from the media when it comes to reporting on people in “gay relationships who then go on into heterosexual relationships.”
Speaking to Sky News’ Samantha Maiden, Abetz was asked if he personally believes that “gays and lesbians can pull up their bootstraps and show a bit of discipline and become heterosexuals?”
The Senator for Tasmania said that evidence to that has been presented to Senate Committees.
“People who have been in gay relationships have then gone into heterosexual relationships and I believe that can happen courtesy of the evidence.”
The former Liberal frontbencher was speaking to media following the news that Airbnb had launched a campaign for marriage equality with support from Qantas, ANZ and others.
Senator Abetz said that while corporations had a right to engage in these activities, there was also a right to be “critical of CEOs running politically correct campaigns.”
“Ultimately the Australian consumer pays in circumstances where, as you would know and your viewers would know, I personally believe that any change to the definition of marriage would not be for the benefit of the children of our nation.”
Senator Abetz had recently spoken out against rainbow flags being displayed on government property, arguing that traditional marriage lobbyists Marriage Alliance should also be able to display their logo. Protesters later appeared at the senators Tasmanian office bearing rainbow regalia.
The senator also commented that the rainbow was “the symbol of a hostile nation”, referring to the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands; a protest nation established in 2004 on an uninhabited island by an Australian expatriate who declared himself emperor and declared war in protest of the Australia’s ban on marriage equality.
Yesterday, Senator Abetz tabled questions to Treasurer Scott Morrison and Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop asking for a breakdown of costs incurred by government departments in order to attend Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.
.@SenatorAbetz: The media only wants ‘one side of the equation’ spoken about when it comes to same sex relationships https://t.co/wsoFeWly0I pic.twitter.com/Opd0JmVW9O
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) April 4, 2017
OIP Staff
