Fed: PM says rosaries/ovaries T-shirt offensive to Catholics

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2006
Fed: PM says rosaries/ovaries T-shirt offensive to Catholics

Eds; Reissuing, correcting literal in lead par



CANBERRA, Feb 10 AAP - The rosaries/ovaries T-shirt worn by an Australian Greens senator
was deeply offensive to Catholics, Prime Minister John Howard said today.

Australian Greens Senator Kerry Nettle wore the "keep your rosaries off my ovaries"

T-shirt earlier this week as the Senate started its emotion charged debate over who should
control the abortion drug RU486.

The T-shirt was sponsored by the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA).

Mr Howard today said the message was offensive to Catholics across the country.

"I think that was deeply offensive to many Australian Catholics," he told Southern
Cross Broadcasting.

He said the Greens were sneering at a religious practice and journalists encouraged it.

"The Greens Party can practically sneer at Catholic devotional practice and think it's
funny and to see some journalists standing around grinning as if the whole thing's a joke,"

he said.

But he said Senator Nettle had the right to express herself and it should not be a
criminal offence to make derogatory remarks about a particular religion.

"She has a right to do that - it's a free country," he said.

"It's an expression of free speech and just as I don't believe there should be a law
making it a criminal offence to burn the Australian flag ... I'm not trying to stop Senator
Nettle doing something like that.

"But I'm expressing the view that it's deeply offensive.

"And it's the kind of silly undergraduate contribution to this debate which is regrettable
but that's democracy."

AAP klw/sb/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: ABORTION TSHIRT PM (REISSUING)

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