Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

This is how Aussie politicians have reacted to the latest 'reprehensible' Folau comments

Isarel Folau

Scott Morrison has blasted Israel Folau’s “appallingly insensitive” comments, while Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese called the sacked Wallabies star “reprehensible”.

ADVERTISEMENT

Folau claimed the bushfires crippling Australia were God’s punishment for legalising abortion and same-sex marriage.

Dumped by Rugby Australia after claiming homosexuals would go to hell, Folau has doubled down in a video sermon posted to the Truth of Jesus Christ Church Sydney.

The prime minister is also a practising Christian but stressed Folau’s comments were not representative of his community.

“The thoughts and prayers, let me stress, from Christians, are very much with those who are suffering under the terrible burden of fire,” Mr Morrison told reporters in Adelaide on Monday.

Video Spacer

“I thought these were appallingly insensitive comments.

“If people don’t have something sensible and helpful to say, can you just keep it to yourself.”< br/>

Mr Albanese said Folau had a history of making provocative comments and that it was incumbent on people with “common-sense” to reject them.

ADVERTISEMENT

“His comments are in line with some of his other comments which are pretty reprehensible,” Mr Albanese told Sky News on Monday.

“It would good if people thought before they spoke. These comments certainly won’t bring anything positive or constructive to the debate.”

Nationals backbencher Barnaby Joyce said it was pointless to engage with Folau.

“He throws rocks at us so he feels good, we throw rocks back at him so we feel good … but not one of those actions is making a sandwich for a person fighting the fires,” Mr Joyce told the Seven Network.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Not one of those actions is actually in a fire truck trying to stop these fires. Israel can concentrate on what he wants to say and I don’t really care and we’ll concentrate on the fire.”

During the 10-minute sermon, Folau said the timing of the bushfire crisis, which has left six Australians dead, was no coincidence, but rather a taste of God’s judgment.

“I’ve been looking around at the events that’s been happening in Australia, this past couple of weeks, with all the natural disasters, the bushfires and the droughts,” he said.

Folau then linked a Bible passage to the twin disasters of bushfire and drought and, in turn, the legalising of same-sex marriage and abortion.

“The events that have happened here in Australia, in the last couple of years – God’s word says for a man and a woman to be together … they’ve come and changed this law,” he said.

“Abortion, it’s okay now to murder, kill infants, unborn children.”

Folau said he believed the scripture was talking to Australia.

“God is speaking to you guys. Australia you need to repent and take these laws and turn it back to what is right.”

The controversy which saw Folau’s $4 million contract torn up in April was th e dual international’s second run-in with Rugby Australia after being reprimanded for a similar social media post in 2018.

– AAP

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 12 hours ago
The Fergus Burke test and rugby's free market

I can guarantee that none of the three would have got a chance with Ireland in the state they arrived from NZ.

Why would you think they would?

Two of them were at Leinster and were bench-warmers when they arrived

Sometimes you can be beyond stupid JW.

Haha look who's talking! Hello? Can you just read what you wrote about Leinster to yourself again please lol

It took prob four seasons to get James Lowe's defence up to the required standard to play international footy. If Jacob Stockdale had not experienced a big slump in form he might not have gotten the chance at all.

I'm really not sure why you're making this point. Do you think Ireland are a better team than the All Blacks, where those players would have been straight in? This is like ground hog day the movie with you. Can you not remember much of the discussions, having so many readers/commentors? Yup, 26/7/8 would have been the perfect age for them to have been capped by NZ as well.


Actually, they would obviously have been capped given an opportunity earlier (where they were ineligible to for Ireland).


TTT, who was behind JGP at the Hurricanes, got three AB caps after a couple of further seasons acting as a backup SR player, once JGP left of course. In case you didn't see yourself contradicting your own comments above, JGP was just another player who became first choice for Ireland while 2nd (or even 3rd/outside the 23 in recent cases) for Leinster. And fair enough, no one is suggesting JGP would have surpassed TJP in three or four years either. He would have been an All Black though, and unlike in your Leinster example, similar performances from him would have seen TJP move on earlier to make way for him. Not limited him like he was in Ireland. That's just the advantage of the way they can only afford so many. Hell, one hit wonders like Seta Tamanivalu and Malakai Fekitoa got rocketed into the jersey at the time.


So not just him. Aki and Lowe both would have had opportunities, as you must know has been pointed out by now. It's true that the adversity of having to move to Ireland added a nice bit of mongrel to their game though, along with their typical development.


Aki looked comfortable as the main 12 in his first two seasons, he was fortunate SBW went back to league for a season you could say, but as a similar specialist he ultimate had to give the spot back again on his return. There's certainly no doubt he would have returned and flourished with coachs like Rennie, Wayne Smith, and Andrew Strawbridge, even Tom Coventry. All fair for him to take up an immediate contract instead of wait a year of course though.


It's just whatever the point of your comments are meant to make, your idea that these players wouldn't have achieved high honors in NZ is simply very shortsighted and simplistic. I can only think you are making incorrect conclusions about this topic because of this mistake. As a fan, Aki was looking to be the Nonu replacement for me, but instead the country had the likes of Laumape trying to fill those boots with him available. Ditto with Lowe once Rieko moved to center.

216 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 'Abyss of dismay': Owen Farrell branded a Top 14 transfer flop 'Abyss of dismay': Owen Farrell branded a Top 14 transfer flop
Search