Posted on 12/21/2012 5:08:38 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
A PROUDLY conservative group that wants to be the "Australian Tea Party" will push for corporal punishment, referendums to sack bad governments and tougher refugee policy at the federal election.
CANdo, a group created by Liberal firebrand Cory Bernardi and loosely modelled on the right-wing faction of the US Republican Party, also claims gay marriage could lead to Muslim polygamy.
CANdo is run by chairman David Flint, former Australian Broadcasting Authority chair and leading monarchist, and Jai Martinkovits, who also runs Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy.
Professor Flint said CANdo wants a referendum on gay marriage and defended Senator Bernardi over recent comments suggesting it might lead to bestiality.
"All he was saying was that if you open up marriage to a wider group, then there will be calls for more," Prof Flint said. "Perhaps that would be the next cab off the rank," he said.
"Muslim people are allowed polygamous marriage, but there will no doubt be calls for recognition, such as through the welfare system."
While unaligned to any political party and reliant on private donations, the group will back election candidates aligned with its causes.
Broadcaster Alan Jones and businessman Hugh Morgan are patrons of CANdo, which wants controversial ex-2UE host Michael Smith appointed managing director of the ABC, and the creation of grand juries to investigate alleged MP misconduct.
Prof Flint said it also wanted to protect the legal right for citizens to offend each other without fear of legal action.
"I've been called a perma-tanned Indonesian-born blow-in. Some people might find that offensive, but it's not a matter for the law. People should live with it," he said.
"We believe government should focus on defence, border protection and school education, not putting pink batts in people's roofs."
Another crucial issue is corporal punishment in schools...
(Excerpt) Read more at dailytelegraph.com.au ...
What is the proportion of Aussie Mormons?
Low!
Fairly high among Pacific Islanders resident in Australia, including Maori from New Zealand but, as you’d expect, not as high in Australia as in America’s intermountain west.
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