Tony Abbott praises young No voters for ‘fighting for our country’

TONY Abbott has joined a meeting of dozens of young marriage reform opponents in Brisbane, and treated them like absolute heroes.

Tony Abbott praised a large group of young No voters at an event in Brisbane on Wednesday night. Picture: Our Voice. Our Vote./Facebook

TONY Abbott has praised young No voters for “fighting for our country” at an anti same-sex marriage rally in Brisbane overnight.

The former prime minister joined about 100 marriage reform opponents from university protest group Our Voice, Our Vote.

Addressing the crowd of eager young conservatives, the Liberal backbencher said it was “wonderful” to see “so many enthusiastic young people coming together to stand up for our country”.

“I want to say to all of you how proud I am to be here with tremendous young Australians who are fighting for our country and fighting for our battles,” he said.

Mr Abbott told his anti-marriage reform supporters that the “battle” was not just about same-sex marriage, but that there was a “much wider gender at play” from the campaign for change.

“Our judeo-Christian value system more generally, that is at stake, and so when we fight for marriage, we’re fighting for a whole lot of things,” he said.

“We’re fighting for respect. We’re fighting for freedom. We’re fighting for understanding of the long and wonderful history of our culture and civilisation which has given us a country, which, despite everything, is still the envy of the earth, is free, is fair, is prosperous as almost anything that can be imagined.”

A great evening with @TonyAbbottMHR, encouraging the young team behind #VoteNo #ayoungfreeno #withtony #auspol pic.twitter.com/VD5I7JV7e6

— Our Voice. Our Vote. (@VoicingOurVote) September 27, 2017

Tony Abbott encouraged young voters ‘you can say no’. Picture: Our Voice. Our Vote./Facebook

Mr Abbott joked it was a welcome change to be one of the oldest in the room, unlike at most Liberal Party gatherings where he said he was “often a little depressed at just how old everyone is”.

He gave encouragement to the crowd to continue their fight for “traditional marriage”, saying their protest could wake the sleeping giant of Australian decency.

“The left’s long march through the institutions has gone far enough, and whatever the outcome for this particular vote, it might just be that the sleeping giant of Australian decency, the sleeping giant of people who love our country and want it to be at its best, might just be awakened,” he said.

“We can win this, and with your help.”

Joining last night’s meeting was at least the second show of public support the former PM has offered to the controversial student group.

Just last week, Mr Abbott shared a video of a protest One Voice One Vote held at the University of Queensland where a gay No voter claimed there were thousands of homosexual Australians like him whose views were being “drowned out” by the Yes campaign.

On Twitter, Mr Abbott said the clip was a “case in point” that supporters of same-sex marriage were “responsible for bullying and hate speech”.

So far it’s supporters of change, not opponents, who are responsible for bullying and hate speech: https://t.co/jzjiOS30do @VoicingOurVote

— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) September 18, 2017

It was only three days later that Mr Abbott claimed to have been headbutted by a man wearing a Yes badge in Hobart.

A man was charged with one count of common assault over the incident and is due in court next month, but he claims the alleged attack had nothing to do with same-sex marriage.

At last night’s event, a representative from the group thanks Mr Abbott for his support.

“We know what it’s like, what you’ve faced in bullying,” the young man said.

“We really value your retweeting of our events ... we thank you so much for that because it really helps us.”

Students thanked Mr Abbott for his support. Picture: Our Voice. Our Vote./Facebook

Tony Abbott sported a slightly bruised lip after the alleged headbutting last week. Picture: Jim Rice/AAP

Astro Labe, who has been charged, says his alleged headbutt was motivated only by a general dislike of Mr Abbott. Picture: Ethan James/AAP