‘But this is more than politics’: Tony Abbott’s daughter does ad for ‘Yes’ campaign
"My mother and my father raised me to stand up for what I believe in." Photo: AAP/Australian Marriage Equality
Frances Abbott has thrown her support behind the ‘Yes’ campaign, appearing in a video for Australian Marriage Equality released on Tuesday.
The daughter of former prime minister Tony Abbott features in the ‘Vote Yes’ campaign video, in which she discusses her desire to see her aunt, Christine Forster – a City of Sydney councillor – marry her partner, Virginia Edwards.
Ms Abbott said she hoped same-sex marriage would make society less lonely for many people and also touches on her father’s stance and their obvious differences on the issue.
“I think it’s well known that within my family we have people that sit on the other side of the fence,” Ms Abbott says in the clip.
“My mother and my father raised me to stand up for what I believe in.”
Watch the ad featuring Frances Abbott
Ms Abbott talks about Ms Forster and how she hopes to be part of her same-sex wedding one day.
“I look at aunty Chris and I don’t think she planned to fall in love with Virginia,” she said.
“It never really changed anything, she was still aunty Chris.
“She’s still going to be at Christmas, she’s still going to be at the family barbecues, her children are still going to be my cousins.
“To see aunty Chris marry Virginia, to do it here in front of friends of family, it would be so special and I’m so, so hoping that’s something that I get to be a part of.”
Earlier in the campaign, Ms Abbott posted a selfie on Instagram wearing a ‘Vote Yes’ t-shirt.
A post shared by @notanotherfitnessblogger on
“I posted that picture on Instagram to show what I think is right,” Ms Abbott said.
“In my post I said I’m not interested in politics. But this is more than politics.
“What this comes down to is love.”
Ms Forster, a Liberal councillor for the City of Sydney, is campaigning against her brother on the issue.
She said she was “so very proud of my courageous, smart, beautiful niece”.
Mr Abbott has campaigned heavily against same-sex marriage, and when he was allegedly headbutted in Hobart last week, he linked the attack to violence from ‘Yes’ campaigners.
Mr Abbott has previously told Sydney radio station 2GB that while he “respectfully” disagreed with his daughter, he was proud of independence in the matter.
“I am proud of the fact she is an independent woman, who has her own thoughts and who does her own thing,” he said.
“I respectfully disagree with her on this issue but I am certainly very proud of her.”
Liberal Senator Zed Seselja, a prominent ‘No’ campaigner, said it was “probably nothing new for young people to not agree with their parents”.
“That’s probably been with us since time in memorial and obviously sometimes that plays out publicly as it is in this case but as Tony Abbott said he’s very proud that his daughters are independent and free thinking and they make up their own minds,” he told Sky News.
