The result of the marriage postal survey is in and nearly 40% of Australians voted NO to redefining marriage.
A great many more Australians also have concerns about the consequences for our cherished freedoms, such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of conscience.
Australian parents are worried about the LGBT agenda being proselytised through the abominable ‘safe schools’ program and parents being denied the right to have a say in what is being taught to our children.
I am very proud of the NO campaign and the role the Australian Conservatives played in it. At all times our team was respectful, factual and courageous in the face of a well-resourced opposition.
The fact that we made up so much ground during such a short voting period speaks volumes about the effectiveness of the campaign. Momentum is on our side and we now need to apply that skill, experience and expertise toward strengthening the conservative voice in coming elections.
The conservative voice must be heard in every electorate across the country.
It’s worth noting that Australian Conservatives was the only political party to openly support marriage as it always has been. That means we are the only truly credible, values-based conservative option for the millions of people who share our principles.
Our task now is to ensure that we share the importance of standing true to those values within our parliament – and out there in the community. So, today’s result is just the beginning.
Australian Conservatives will be striving to be an even stronger and more influential voice for common sense. We will continue to uphold the importance of stronger families, fostering free enterprise, limiting the reach of government and rebuilding civil society.
It is more important than ever that our movement becomes the first choice for the millions of people concerned about the direction of our country.
The battle to make our nation stronger, safer and even better has just begun.
If you haven’t yet done so I hope you’ll join us for the campaigns ahead.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
