Under-fire Australian senator Cory Bernardi capped a bruising week
for his political career by pulling out of a speaking engagement in
England.
The controversial Liberal politician had been due to address
the European Young Conservative Freedom Summit this weekend at Oxford
University's St Hugh's College.
However he opted not to attend the conference following his
controversial comments about same sex marriage in parliament this week.
The British Conservative Party have tried to distance themselves from the South Australian senator's headline-grabbing antics.
"I contacted the organisers yesterday to say that my
attendance at their conference had become a distraction," Bernardi said
in a statement released by summit organisers.
"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."
The outspoken senator found himself in hot water for
suggesting in parliament that legalising gay marriage could trigger
demands for bestiality and polygamy to be legalised as well.
The remarks cost him his job as a shadow parliamentary secretary but he has refused to apologise for them.
Senator Bernardi, who has been at the centre of controversy
in the past for his views on Islam, asylum seekers and climate change,
flew out of Australia on Wednesday following his demotion.
He landed at London's Heathrow Airport on Thursday morning but his current whereabouts are not known.
