Far-right a new ‘hippie’ revolution
He pointed to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and contentious Senator Fraser Anning – whose comments in the wake of the Christchurch massacre have been dubbed “reprehensible” by Australian Conservatives Senate candidate Lyle Shelton.
“I bear no ill will (to Mr Anning) but there’s a temperance you’re meant to apply and a filter of common sense,” Mr Bernardi said. “I think it’s wrong for us to say we should have a migration policy that prohibits people due to their ideas or based on their skin colour from coming to the country.
“But I’ve also seen inconsistency in One Nation’s approach. Clive Palmer has reinvented himself and I know his message has adopted a lot of our policy and is very loud.” The South Australian senator went as far as classifying his brand of Christian conservatism as a growing “counter culture”.
“In the ’60s it was the hippies who annoyed their parents, now if you’re a student and you go home and say you’re a conservative, your parents go ‘what, what?’. “You’re sort of the revolutionaries of our time. But politics is a pendulum and I think things are swinging back (to the right).” About 60 people, largely seniors, attended the Australian Conservatives launch at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort. Unsurprisingly, it was a receptive crowd, with many murmuring in agreement as Mr Bernardi and Mr Shelton rallied support and appealed for donations.