Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have risen again today to bring before you, Mr Deputy Speaker, an incident that occurred yesterday and which has been in the media today. Greens Senator Kerry Nettle appeared on television last night and in today’s media wearing a T-shirt that said, ‘Mr Abbott, get your rosaries off my ovaries’. Quite frankly, I was staggered by that. I could not believe that in this debate, which is obviously very important to a lot of people, we would trivialise such a debate and demean the status of the parliament by that particular action. In fact, she further trivialised it by giggling on television. This is a serious issue where people hold very strong views by conviction and conscience. I thought her action was unnecessary and provocative and that it borders on the sectarian.

I think this whole debate has largely got out of control. I think it is sad to see people parading their lives, and the abortions that they, family members or friends have had, through this debate. I ache for those women who have had abortions. Their lives, even those of the ones who have done it willingly themselves, should not be paraded through the parliament like this.

I think that this is a serious issue that we have to debate on its merits. It is true that your upbringing, your social environment and your family environment play an important part in the development of your conscience. I make no apology for having grown up in a Catholic family. However, I am an adult with free will and I reach my decisions on how I vote on these issues myself. I am not directed by the Catholic Church or anybody else. Using the rosary—which is a prayer cycle that honours the mother of Christ—in this way is in the poorest of poor taste and, as I said before, borders on sectarianism as it demeans part of the Christian community. In fact, people of other denominations, particularly High-Church Anglicans, who also say the rosary, would find it the most offensive of offensive remarks. I call on Senator Nettle to apologise to this parliament and to the Australian people.