Incidentally, I have had the view for some time that Kristina Keneally is a thoughtful and intelligent politician, whose talents are surely wasted in the abyss of NSW state Labor politics. You have to feel some empathy for her in face of the behaviour of the latest Minister to be forced to resign, the undistinguished scion of a mediocre Labor right dynasty.

Update: Just to clarify, in response to comments, the legislation is subject to a conscience vote, which explains why Keneally has discussed the relevance of her personal religious beliefs to her legislative judgement on this bill.

LIZ HAYES: Homosexuality? How do you feel about that?

TONY ABBOTT: I’d probably I feel a bit threatened…

LIZ HAYES: I’m not asking if it’s a personal choice of yours.

TONY ABBOTT: ..as so many people.

LIZ HAYES: When you say ‘threatened’?

TONY ABBOTT: Again, Liz, look, it’s a fact of life and I try to treat people as people and not put them in pigeonholes.

Yes, don’t ask, don’t tell. Stay in the closet. It’s a private thing. Don’t ask for those pesky ‘rights’ or be too ‘queer’. And Tone won’t get scared.

I’m not surprised, given the way he lives his (ultra)masculinity, that Abbott literally is homo-phobic. Perhaps he could take up this offer?

Corey Irlam, spokesperson for Australian Coalition for Equality (ACE) will today write to Abbott, inviting him to meet with ordinary gays and lesbian people to help overcome his self-confessed sense of “threat” about homosexuality.

“We hope Mr Abbott will take up our invitation so he can overcome feeling threatened by homosexuality”, Mr Irlam said in a statement.

“Mr Abbott can pick any place he feels safe and we’ll invite ordinary members of the gay and lesbian community to come and talk with him to show him he has nothing to fear from us.”

Via Trevor Cook. I agree, as with the rest of Tony’s fascinating moral journey, it should be televised.

That would be *authentic*.

Update: Tone will probs say, as with some of his previous comments, that he was just answering the questions. Sorrow At Sills Bend has more on his ‘accidental’ oversharing, and some questions that could be posed to Abbott.