TY - JOUR
T1 - Tony abbott and abortion
T2 - Miscalculating the strength of the religious right
AU - Gleeson, Kate
PY - 2011/9
Y1 - 2011/9
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80051986295&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10361146.2011.595387
DO - 10.1080/10361146.2011.595387
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:80051986295
SN - 1036-1146
VL - 46
SP - 473
EP - 488
JO - Australian Journal of Political Science
JF - Australian Journal of Political Science
IS - 3
ER -