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

Kate Gleeson*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    17 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 - Sept 2011

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