Tony abbott and abortion: Miscalculating the strength of the religious right

Kate Gleeson*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In the context of analyses of the rise of the religious right, this article examines the passage and outcomes of the 'abortion debate' from 2004 to 2006. It analyses the reasons for the then Health Minister Tony Abbott's pursuit of the issue, and his strategies to place abortion on the public agenda, through his encouragement of church lobbies and conservative allies in parliament. Although it is commonly argued that the influence of right-wing Christian lobbyists is growing, this exploration of the abortion debate indicates that this influence is limited, and that it was misunderstood and overstated at the time by politicians like Abbott, and by many political commentators.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)473-488
Number of pages16
JournalAustralian Journal of Political Science
Volume46
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sep 2011

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