Cory Bernardi withdraws from European Young Conservatives' conference

After making controversial remarks about same-sex marriage an Australian parliamentarian, Cory Bernardi, has withdrawn from a conference in Oxford, where he was due to address a gathering of the European Young Conservatives.

Cory Bernardi said:

“I contacted the organisers yesterday to say that my attendance at their conference had become a distraction. I had intended to talk about Australia and the Commonwealth, but that message would be lost, and I don’t want to drag an unrelated issue into this important conference”.

A spokesman for EYC said:

“We undertand Sen. Bernardi’s decision. He’s a respected and popular politician in South Australia, and was until this week parliamentary secretary to the Leader of the Oppoistion, and we wish him and our allies in the Australian Liberal Party well”.