Political Career
At the 2006 Victorian election Kavanagh stood as the DLP's lead candidate in the newly-formed Western Victoria Region, which elects five members via proportional representation. Despite winning only 2.5% of the vote, Kavanagh was able to win the final seat due to receiving preferences from both of the major parties.
After his victory, Kavanagh was described by both the media and by some politicians as a "right-wing nutter", most notably by The Greens' successful candidate for Northern Metropolitan Region, Greg Barber. Kavanagh dismissed this assertion, saying that "The DLP remains the only political party in Australia which is pro-family, pro-life and genuinely pro-worker".
Peter Kavanagh maintained he was attempting to use his share of the balance of power constructively, in particular enouraging the Government and Opposition to work towards and achieve agreement on some legislation.
Kavanagh led opposition within the Parliament to the decriminalisation of abortion under the Crimes Act in Victoria. In opposing the Abortion Bill 2008 Kavanagh also sent a photograph to other MPs of American Samuel Armas who, after being operated on while still in the womb, reached from inside his mother's body and grasped the surgeon's finger, in a gesture that looks like an expression of gratitude. Sending this photo prompted a storm of abuse and vitriol from some other MPs. In Parliament Kavanagh also proposed amendments to the Abortion Bill 2008 (including a requirement for pain relief for the fetus) which would have mitigated the legislation. He also made an impassioned three and a half hour speech against the Abortion Bill (Victoria, Legislative Council (2008) Debates, 9 October, p. 4093.) which earned him extraordinarily enthusiastic, loud and sustained applause from the public gallery. His proposed amendments were all rejected however and the Bill was passed unamended by 23 to 17 votes.
Surprising many, Kavanagh has also expressed a willingness to consider gay civil unions in Victoria "providing there is a special status retained for marriage".
Kavanagh was defeated at the Victorian state elections held on 29 November 2010. The DLP is again unrepresented in the Victorian parliament.
Read more about this topic: Peter Kavanagh (Australian Politician)
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