蜜桃传媒

Abbott appears to be making the rounds on the right-wing circuit; earlier this month he in London, where he first dismissed climate change then said 鈥渋t might be beneficial.鈥�

The Australian Financial Review that Abbott would be delivering a lecture to ADF, though specific details about the time, date and venue remain unclear.

A spokesman for Abbott was quoted in the Review as saying that Abbott 鈥渋s honoured to have been invited by the ADF鈥� to reiterate his position that those who support same-sex marriage must demonstrate how freedom of speech, religion and parental choice will be protected. AFR noted that Abbott is expected to step up the case for stronger religious exemption laws if same-sex marriage passes in Australia.

Abbott addressed in January in New York City while ADF鈥檚 at the Australian Christian Lobby鈥檚 national conference a few months later, held in Sydney, where he was interrupted by a protestor who noted ADF鈥檚 work in maintaining laws that criminalize gay sex.

ADF has of gay sex, supported state-enforced sterilization of trans people in Europe and against LGBT people. ADF , which grants sweeping protections to individuals, private associations and religious organizations to deny goods and services and in some cases healthcare to LGBT people.

The gathering that ADF held last year at which Abbott spoke was not widely publicized, though a transcript of Abbott鈥檚 address was by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The transcript noted that the venue had been the Lotte New York Palace Hotel.

In the address, Abbott, who admitted in the speech that one of his sisters has a same-sex partner, claimed that marriage 鈥渁rose as a way of dealing with human imperfection,鈥� as a way to 鈥渒eep men more committed and less likely to abandon their wives and children.鈥� He tried to strike a conciliatory tone, and called for civility in the midst of disagreement while also claiming that:

Not long ago, most gay activists rejected marriage as an oppressive institution. Now, they demand as their right what they recently scorned; they demand what was unimaginable in all previous times and still is in most places. They are seeking what has never been and expecting others to surrender what always has. It鈥檚 a massive ask; for me, an ask too far.

Australia is currently embroiled in a so-called regarding same-sex marriage following a of the original plebiscite. The Australian Bureau of Statistics to Australians last month to provide an opportunity to vote about whether they think same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. The survey is non-binding and non-compulsory and the government will still need to vote on same-sex marriage once the results are tallied.

A 鈥測es鈥� vote is in support of same-sex marriage while a 鈥渘o鈥� vote is not. If there is a majority of 鈥測es鈥澛爒otes, the Australian government will allow a private member鈥檚 same-sex marriage bill to be introduced to the house and members of parliament will then be given a free vote. The expectations are that the measure will pass. A majority no vote in the postal survey will not allow the bill to proceed.

The survey was who view it as a costly delay and redundant to holding a conscience vote on marriage equality in the parliament. Legal challenges against the survey questioned the authority of the ABS to conduct it and the government鈥檚 right to pay for it from specific funds failed and the High Court of Australia found that the survey is legal.

In August 2017, Abbott in The Australian in which he claimed that voting no on same-sex marriage:

...听will not be a criticism of gay friends and family members; it won鈥檛 be an assertion that there鈥檚 only one right way to live your life or to express your love. Rather, it will be an affirmation that the things that matter should not lightly be changed and that marriage is different from other relationships.

He further stated that he is 鈥渂affled鈥� by the claim that gay relationships are diminished without the badge of marriage. 鈥淯nmarried people are not lesser humans than married ones 鈥� Same-sex partnerships are not lesser than opposite-sex ones. They鈥檙e just different,鈥� he continued without addressing the fact that banning certain people from an institution certainly doesn鈥檛 lend credence to his claim that their partnerships are 鈥渘ot lesser.鈥�

The final deadline for the Australian postal vote is November 7, though the ABS recommends earlier.

鈥�