Australian Conservatives leader and prominent "no" campaigner in the postal survey on same-sex marriage, Cory Bernardi, has argued that his plan to hit one million homes in Australia with automated phone calls asking them to vote "no" is less intrusive than a text message campaign by the "yes" side.
Last weekend, the Equality Campaign sent out unsolicited text messages to Australians based on phone numbers that had been auto-generated. As a result people received text messages regardless of whether they had a silent number, or were on a Do Not Call register.
At the time, Bernardi was among those who voiced their concern about the "yes" campaign sending unsolicited text messages.
Many raising concerns about receiving unsolicited text message from Yes camp. Could have saved some money and not sent one to me #auspol
Nine News today reported that Bernardi is the voice of a new robo-call targeting homes in Victoria and South Australia urging residents to vote "no" in the postal survey.
"As a parent I am deeply concerned about how changing the Marriage Act will affect families and children," Bernardi says in the Nine recording of the call.
“Changing the Marriage Act will limit the right of parents to object to radical gay sex education and gender ideology programs from being taught in schools. Books like The Gender Fairy, which is aimed at four-year-olds, will become commonplace in our schools."
Speaking on Sky News about the planned calls, Bernardi defended the practice.
"It's not invasive like sending text messages to unlisted numbers, or 12-year-olds, telling them how to vote," he said. "I'm asking them for their opinion."
Bernardi claimed it was "market research".
.@corybernardi says the 'no' campaign's robo-calls are market research and not invasive like text messages. MORE:… https://t.co/139mBN16sE
"It's a time-honoured political technique, and that is exactly what I am doing," he said. "This is just polling an electorate."
Nine estimated the cost to call one million houses in Australia at $50,000. Bernardi told Fairfax Media he would be paying for it himself (whether from his taxpayer-funded salary or from funds raised by his political party was not clear).
Brace yourselves, the Cory Hotline is coming.
another one of Bernardi's robo-calls has been leaked.