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June 18th, 2013 
OUTSPOKEN Liberal senator Cory Bernardi is under fire from within his own party for again linking gay marriage to polygamy and bestiality.
The senator resigned as a shadow parliamentary secretary to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott following outrage over a speech to parliament last year.
Now he insists he had been “proved correct” that legalising same-sex marriage would lead to demands to endorse polygamy and bestiality.
“I think there should be alarm … if you’re going to redefine a word to satisfy demands of a minority then you’re going to face continuing demands in that space,” he told Fairfax Media on Tuesday.
He cited a petition from the Polyamory Action Lobby calling on parliament to recognise polygamous marriages.
Opposition frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull said Senator Bernardi’s comments about bestiality were “very extreme and extremely offensive”.
“I dissociate myself from them completely,” Mr Turnbull told Sky News.
“His remarks create a lot of offence with same-sex couples.”
Mr Turnbull noted that none of the countries that had legalised same-sex marriage had then moved on to legalise polygamy.
Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Senator Bernardi had not learnt anything from his demotion.
“Linking the love that thousands of Australian couples share to bestiality is disgraceful,” she told reporters in Canberra.
“South Australians will be shaking their heads today and many will be having a second thought about voting Liberal.”
Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Rodney Croome said the remarks were offensive.
“Not one country that has allowed same-sex marriage has moved to legitimise polygamy or bestiality – for the simple reason they’re not linked, legally, socially or culturally,” he said.
Senator Bernardi concedes he stood down from his position with Mr Abbott because the comments created “a massive storm” the coalition did not need.
“I don’t think the storm was justified,” he said.
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