Tony Abbott admits family don’t oppose with gay marriage

Tony Abbott admits his opposition to gay marriage is far less popular in his own family than it is with the Australian people.

The former prime minister made the confession after his 26-year-old daughter Frances made a strong pitch for the ‘Yes’ vote.

‘I don’t really care much for politics, but I do really care a lot for love. All love is good. Let’s celebrate it,’ she wrote next to a photo of her wearing a ‘vote yes’ t-shirt.

The former prime minister made the confession after his 26-year-old daughter Frances made a strong pitch for the ‘yes’ vote

The fitness blogger later expressed support for her lesbian aunt Christine Forster, Mr Abbott’s sister, saying it would be great to see her marry her partner Virginia Edwards.

Mr Abbott acknowledged the conflict within his family over the divisive issue, as he campaigned hard against marriage equality becoming legal.

‘I realise that from time to time I’m a minority in my own household,’ he told 2GB radio in Sydney.

‘[My wife] Margie and I brought all our daughters up to be strong and independent women and that’s exactly what they are.’

The 50-year-old MP indicated Frances wasn’t the only one of his three daughters who held the opposite view to himself

‘I suspect that there is a bit of a disagreement among my daughters on this subject – certainly I respectfully disagree with Frances on this subject,’ he said

The 59-year-old Liberal member for Warringah indicated Frances wasn’t the only one of his three daughters who held the opposite view to himself.

‘I suspect that there is a bit of a disagreement among my daughters on this subject – certainly I respectfully disagree with Frances on this subject,’ he said.

‘But she’s a wonderful human being – she’s brave, she’s strong, she does her own thing, and good luck to her.’

Mr Abbott also admitted to being ‘very anxious’ about the same-sex marriage campaign, which saw numerous TV ads, vandalism, and violent clashes.

The Catholic conservative politician was even allegedly headbutted by a man wearing a ‘Yes’ jacket button, though the man claimed it had nothing to with the issue.

‘He was a pretty feral-looking fella,’ Mr Abbott said.

‘There’s been an enormous amount of bullying and intimidation.’

‘But she’s a wonderful human being – she’s brave, she’s strong, she does her own thing, and good luck to her,’ he said

‘[My wife] Margie and I brought all our daughters up to be strong and independent women and that’s exactly what they are,’ Mr Abbott said 

He claimed ‘Yes’ campaigners wanted to create a ‘suffocating atmosphere of oppression’ that punished those who disagreed with them.

‘We’ve been subjected to an onslaught of political correctness, we’ve seen it run riot,’ he said.

‘It’s the Judaeo-Christian ethic they don’t like.’

He claimed Australia was not judgmental towards minorities like LGBTQI people and no longer excluded anyone.

His daughter Frances, after making her sizzling bodybuilding debut on the weekend, appeared in a video for the ‘yes’ cause discussing her family friction over the issue.

‘I think it’s well know that within my family we have people that sit on the other side of the fence,’ she said in the clip.

‘I’m not interested in politics… this is more than politics. What this comes down to is love.

Frances opened up about the family friction over the issue after making her sizzling bodybuilding debut on the weekend

She appeared in  a video for the ‘yes’ cause saying she couldn’t comprehend why people would vote ‘No’

‘My mother and my father raised me to stand up for what I believe in. 

‘You can’t help who you fall in love with. Love just happens sometimes and it’s unexpected and that’s kind of what’s the awesome thing about it.’ 

Ms Abbott said her ‘Yes’ vote was inspired by her aunt Ms Forster, who left her husband in 2008 and got engaged to Ms Edwards in 2013.

‘I look at aunty Chris and I don’t think she planned to fall in love with Virginia,’ she said.

‘It never really changed anything, she was still aunty Chris.

‘She’s still going to be at Christmas, she’s still going to be at the family BBQs, her children are still going to be my cousins.  

‘To see aunty Chris marry Virginia, to do it here in front of friends of family, it would be so special and I’m so, so hoping that’s something that I get to be a part of.’ 

Mr Abbott also claimed ‘yes’ campaigners wanted to create a ‘suffocating atmosphere of oppression’ that punished those who disagreed with them

Ms Abbott said she couldn’t comprehend why people would vote ‘No’.

‘It really just doesn’t make sense to me that it’s not allowed,’ she said. 

‘I think it would make society a much better place. Less fear of discrimination, fear of isolation and loneliness. It has to change, and it will change.’  

Ms Foster, a gay marriage campaigner, frequently lobbied her brother and criticised his stance on the issue – but said they were still close.

‘The Abbott family is like every other family. We do have differences of opinion on some things but we are a normal, functional family,’ she said in August.

‘The fact that Tony and I have agreed to disagree on this question in particular doesn’t impact the fact that we’re brother and sister. We love each other.’