Cory Bernardi, One Nation’s South Australian leader, says he stands by the comments he made almost 14 years ago that suggested allowing same-sex marriage would lead to society accepting polyamorous unions and bestiality.
At the time he made the comments in federal parliament Bernardi was a Liberal senator for South Australia. He’s since gone on to form his own short-lived party Australian Conservatives, spent time as a Sky News host and is currently with One Nation.
Speaking to the ABC’s Stateline Bernardi said he’s “not fussed” by comments he made in the past and “100 per cent” stands by them.
During the interview he also backed Onbe Nation’s federal leader Pauline Hanson for her recent interview where she questioned if there were any “good Muslims”. Bernardi said he stood by Hanson and did not want to see Australian become “some Middle Eastern kingdom or some backwater where they’re still living in the sixth century”.
Under Prime Minister Tony Abbott Bernardi was appointed to several junior roles including being the Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate. He was forced to resign from those roles and return to the backbench after he claimed allowing marriage equality would lead to polyamory and bestiality.
Tony Abbott described his comments as “repugnant” and former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull labeled them “extreme” and “hysterical”.
Bernardi, a former financial adviser and stock broker, served in the senate representing South Australia for the Liberal party from 2006 when he filled a casual vacancy created by Senator Robert Hill being appointed as Australia’s ambassador to the United Nations.
During his time in parliament he called for a inquiry into swearing on television and was a vocal opponent of allowing marriage equality.
In 2017 he resigned from the Liberal party and formed his own party Australian Conservatives, but the fledgling party had a poor showing at the 2019 election and the party was deregistered a few months later, and Bernardi resigned from his senate position.
After leaving politics Bernardi joined Sky News where he regularly made outlandish statements. When it made its debut in 2021 the hour long Bernardi show was touted as an opportunity for Bernardi to deliver “deep insight and his broad political experience” on important issues.
During the show’s run Bernardi also spent time discussing his childhood love of his Mr Potatohead toy and his concern about Netflix’s dating show Sexy Beasts. He complained about gay fashion from year’s gone by, and suggested students were identifying as cats.
The show was also where regular guest Liberal senator Alex Antic declared he wanted to “identify as an AFL star” and pledged to stop gender neutral markers on Australian passports, seemingly oblivious to the fact the Australia had already introduced world leading changes a decade earlier.
As he exited his program Bernardi had more to say about transgender youth, arguing that parents should be able to make decisions “for the continuation of their lineage.”
