Bernard Thomas Christopher Finn (born 14 April 1961) is a former Australian politician who was a member of the Victorian Legislative Council representing the Western Metropolitan Region from the election of November 2006 until he lost in the November 2022 election.[1] He was previously the member for the electoral district of Tullamarine in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from October 1992 until September 1999.
Bernie Finn | |
|---|---|
 Finn in 2023 | |
| Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Western Metropolitan Region | |
| In office 25 November 2006 – 26 November 2022 | |
| Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Tullamarine | |
| In office 3 October 1992 – 18 September 1999 | |
| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | Liz Beattie |
| Leader of the Democratic Labour Party in Victoria | |
| In office 2 June 2022 – 6 August 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bernard Thomas Christopher Finn 14 April 1961 Colac, Victoria, Australia |
| Political party | Family First (2023−) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic Labour (1980, 2022−2023) Independent (2022) Liberal (1981−2022) |
| Occupation |
|
| Website | www |
Political career edit
Finn was originally a member of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP). In 1980, aged 19, he was the DLP candidate for the federal seat of Corangamite.[2] Soon after, he left the DLP and joined the Liberal Party. In 1983 he was the Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Burke.[3]
Finn was the Member for the District of Tullamarine from 1992 until 1999 when he lost his seat in the Steve Bracks led victory over the Kennett Liberal Government.
Finn was the number one candidate on the Liberal Party of Australia ticket in the Western Metropolitan Region from 2006 to 2018. He was first elected to the Legislative Council in 2006 and re-elected in 2010, 2014 and 2018.[1]
During the period of the Baillieu and Napthine governments, Finn served as Chairman of the Victorian Parliament's Electoral Matters Committee.[4]
Finn previously served on the Coalition frontbench as the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for autism spectrum disorder, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Electoral Integrity and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Melbourne's West.[1]
In 2018 Finn was involved in a controversy where he returned to vote on a bill despite having been granted a "pair" to be absent from voting due to religious observation.[5]
In May 2022, Finn was expelled from the Victorian Liberal Party for "a series of inflammatory social media posts", including calling for abortion to be made illegal in all circumstances, and comparing the Victorian Premier to Adolf Hitler.[6][7][8] On 2 June, Finn rejoined the Democratic Labour Party and announced he would recontest the 2022 Victorian state election as the leader of the party.[9][10] Finn was unsuccessful in his bid for re-election in 2022. Despite winning 5.16% of the vote, after preference distribution Finn narrowly missed out on re-election in the Western Metropolitan Region by only 210 votes, with Legalise Cannabis Party preferences instead electing a third Liberal candidate.[11]
On 6 August 2023, Finn left the Democratic Labour Party and joined Family First Party.[12][13]
Political views edit
Finn has drawn controversy for his political views. He has criticised abortion and been rebuked for his remarks that rape victims should not be allowed an abortion; former Premier Denis Napthine, who like Finn voted against the 2008 abortion bill,[14] called Finn's views "inappropriate."[15][16] Finn is a strong opponent of same sex marriage, adoption,[17][18] and IVF. Finn suggested during the 2012 Australian Open that some ‘gay activists’ had "embarked on a program of rainbow fascism."[19][20][21]
Finn is a climate change denier and was a critic of the Gillard government's carbon pricing scheme, stating in the Victorian Parliament in 2013 that "there has been no global warming for 17 years". He has attacked the climate change documentary An Inconvenient Truth, as well as reports on the subject in the British newspaper The Guardian.[22] He has claimed that global warming is an invention of the "international left", saying that "it raised a few dollars and promoted its own political interests. It came up with a thing called global warming", which he labelled "nonsense". He went on to say that "we have to come to a conclusion that climate change is not so much a scientific thing as it is a political thing". Finn also told Parliament that "This is a con; the whole thing is a con. Today we are in the Parliament of Victoria wasting our time on something that is largely an invention of the left".
Finn supports reintroducing capital punishment for serious offences, including serious drug trafficking.[23]
Finn is a regular panellist on conservative television channel Sky News Australia and a frequent critic of the Black Lives Matter movement, climate science and members of what he views as ‘the left’, including American Democrats and the Australian Labor Party. Finn is a supporter of former US President Donald Trump and a believer of the Big Lie conspiracy.[24] In January 2021, Finn was criticised for sharing conspiracy theories to his private Facebook page, falsely claiming Donald Trump was being "improperly" removed from office.[25] Finn also falsely suggested that antifa were behind the storming of the US Capitol and repeated unsubstantiated claims of election fraud about the 2020 presidential election.[25][26]
In February 2021 Finn, addressing the Reignite Democracy Australia Facebook group, criticised the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown measures imposed by the Victorian government, saying that maybe they were about hardline socialists' dislike of small businesses.[27]
In May 2022, Finn expressed on Facebook that he is “praying” for abortion to be banned in Australia, following the release of the SCOTUS draft decision written by Justice Samuel Alito in Dobbs (19-1392).[28]
Personal life edit
Before entering Parliament, Finn was a small businessman, broadcaster and a media and ministerial adviser to Chris Pearce.[1] He is married with six children.[29]
References edit
- ^ a b c d "Bernie Finn (Western Metropolitan)". Members Information. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
- ^ Carr, Adam. "1980 Election". Psephos.
- ^ Carr, Adam. "1983 Election". Psephos.
- ^ Media release parliament.vic.gov.au
- ^ "Victorians 'betrayed' over Liberals pairing controversy, Acting Premier says". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 April 2018.
- ^ "Liberal MP slammed over Nazi comparison – the Australian Jewish News".
- ^ "Victorian Liberal MP says he is 'praying' for abortion to be banned in wake of concern about US law change". ABC News. 5 May 2022.
- ^ "Victorian Liberal MP who posted anti-abortion comments expelled from party". ABC News. 23 May 2022.
- ^ "I'm mighty proud to announce I am now the State Leader of the Democratic Labour Party - a genuinely conservative labour party fighting for workers, small businesses, traditional families and regional Victoria". Bernie Finn MP. Facebook. 2 June 2022.
- ^ Cassandra Morgan (2 June 2022). "Expelled Liberal MP Finn finds new party". 7news.com.au.
- ^ "Legislative Council Results - VIC Election 2022". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ "Facebook post". www.facebook.com. [better source needed]
- ^ Press release Family First website
- ^ "The Victorian State Government Election". Archived from the original on 31 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ Alison Savage (18 March 2014). "Victorian Liberal MP Bernie Finn says no abortions for rape victims". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ^ Josh Gordon and Henrietta Cook (18 March 2014). "State MP Bernie Finn says there is no acceptable reason for abortion". The Age. Fairfax Media.
- ^ "Should gay couples be able to adopt?". 3AW Mornings. 27 May 2014. Archived from the original on 29 July 2014.
Liberal MP Bernie Finn has sparked fierce debate about same-sex couples adopting children after posting controversial anti gay-adoption comments on his Facebook page. Last week, state Labor voted in favour of changing the law, which could pave the way for homosexual couples to adopt if Daniel Andrews wins November's election. However, Mr Finn, MP for the Western Metropolitan Region, who is a Richmond supporter, said he'd join the Collingwood cheer squad before he'd ever support gay adoption, while in another post he asked for "proof" that having two mothers or two fathers wouldn't hurt children. Labor today lashed out at Mr Finn, saying the outspoken MP has offended hundreds of loving parents.
- ^ Benjamin Riley (29 May 2014). "Calls for Premier Napthine to condemn MP over same-sex adoption remarks". Star Observer.
- ^ Benge Nsenduluka (18 January 2012). "Teenage Tennis Star Denies Making Gay Protest at Australian Open". Christian Post. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- ^ Andie Noonan (16 January 2012). "Liberal MP hits out at 'rainbow fascists'". Star Observer.
- ^ Chip Le Grand (18 January 2012). "MP slams Open 'rainbow fascism' over Margaret Court". The Australian.
- ^ "PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD)" (PDF). PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA. 11 December 2013.
- ^ "Liberal MP's call to bring back death penalty for drug dealers". 12 April 2018.
- ^ "'America is finished if campaign to bring down Trump succeeds'". Sky News Australia. 5 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Victorian Liberal MP posts Trump conspiracy theories to Facebook". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 January 2021.
- ^ Ilanbey, Sumeyya (8 January 2021). "Victorian Liberals confront Bernie Finn over pro-Trump social media posts". The Age. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ Kristian Silva (18 February 2021). "Liberal MP Bernie Finn tells anti-lockdown protest Victorian restrictions were 'not about a virus'". ABC News.
- ^ Victorian Liberal MP 'praying' for abortion to be banned in wake of concern about US law change, Richard Willingham, ABC News Online, 2022-05-05
- ^ "Bernard (Bernie) Finn". Parliament.vic.gov.au. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 3 September 2014.