Thousands call for Australian Government to swap Andrew Bolt for 50,000 refugees - as the controversial columnist suggests Cory Bernardi starts a 'far right' Conservative party
- A petition proposes swapping columnist Andrew Bolt for 50,000 refugees
- It has attracted more than 2,000 signatures in past two days since it started
- As it gained momentum, Bolt got behind the idea of 'The Bernardi Party'
- He was discussing there was not a far-right party option on The Project
- Host Waleed Aly made the suggestion of Cory Bernardi forming a party
- Bolt appeared to agree that Senator Bernardi was an 'obvious' choice
By
LOUISE CHEER FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
PUBLISHED: 12:34 EST, 16 September 2015 | UPDATED: 12:56 EST, 16 September 2015
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Thousands of Australians have called on the Federal Government to swap Andrew Bolt for 50,000 refugees as the controversial columnist backed the idea of Cory Bernardi starting a 'far right' party.
While discussing the recent leadership spill, Bolt said some Liberal Party supporters would have trouble accepting its new leader Malcolm Turnbull because he was less conservative than previous leaders.
'I got 1,000 comments sent to me… of which 99 per cent are red hot: "I'll never vote Liberal again",' Bolt told Network Ten's The Project on Tuesday night.
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Andrew Bolt has got on board with The Project host's Waleed Aly suggestion of Cory Bernardi starting his own party
'Everyone's got that same sort of [feeling]. But I think the thing is it's like [former Victoria premier] Jeff Kennett... red hot yesterday [saying]: "I'll never [support] Turnbull, he was selfish, he never thought of his party."
'Today he said: "I'll back the party". Because where are they going to go?
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'I must say there is talk, really loose talk... [about]: "Where is a party for conservatives? Will there be in the future a party for the conservatives?"
'In the Senate, you might have conservatives going: "I'll vote for someone else".'
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Andrew Bolt gets behind idea of 'The Bernardi Party'
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Carrie Bickmore did not enjoy the suggestion, rolling her eyes and groaning at the idea, while Aly looked proud of his cheeky proposal
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Bolt said there were not many party options for 'far right' voters as Malcolm Turnbull (left) was not an ultra conservative leader. He agreed Senator Bernardi (right) was a good option for a new party leader
This prompted host Waleed Aly to make what was meant to be a cheeky suggestion, saying: 'The Bernardi Party?'
The remark drew a groan and an eye roll from his co-host Carrie Bickmore who added: 'Oh no.'
But Bolt's enthusiasm for the idea was clear.
'Obviously that's one person you might look to,' the columnist said.
As he appeared on The Project, momentum was gathering for a
change.org petition proposing the Federal Government swap Bolt for 50,000 refugees.
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A petition has been started to swap Bolt for 50,000 refugees after he claimed drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi (above) was not a refugee
Melbourne's Margaret Sinclair started the petition in opposition to Bolt's column where he wrote drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi, whose photograph made headlines around the world, was not a refugee and blamed the child's father.
'These opinion pieces seek to stifle a proper response to a world-wide issue of why people seek asylum and twist our minds to suit an ultra-right wing political agenda that encourages countries to close their borders,' Ms Sinclair wrote.
'They have little to do with the actual facts and deny the reality that war causes mass refugees and there are many other reasons why people legitimately seek asylum.'
Since starting it two days ago, the petition has attracted more than 2,000 signatures.
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