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Portrait of Cory Bernardi

Cory Bernardi

Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party · South Australia · South Australian Legislative Council · Statewide (SA) · incumbent

Cory Bernardi was born in Adelaide, South Australia, on 6 November 1969; his father was an Italian immigrant who came to Australia in 1958. He was educated at Prince Alfred College and later took a business and management course at the South Australian Institute of Technology. Before politics he worked as a labourer while travelling through Europe and Africa, managed his family's hotel, and subsequently worked as a stockbroker and financial adviser. [source]

Sourced positions

A verified position is the member's own stated view or vote, supported by the listed sources. This page records public statements and conduct only — see methodology.

Immigration verified

In posts on his X account in mid-2026, Bernardi (One Nation's SA state leader) set out an assimilationist position on immigration: he wrote that while many migrant families became 'fierce patriots', others 'have refused to integrate and have instead tried to impose their culture on us' (1 July 2026), and endorsed Pauline Hanson's stance that there is 'no place' for those who will not abide by Australian law and way of life, saying she 'speaks for the majority of Aussies' (17 June 2026). On the return to Australia of so-called 'ISIS brides' and their children he wrote 'This is outrageous' (30 June 2026). Recorded as a stated position; as a state MLC he does not vote on federal immigration law.

Faith & religion verified

Bernardi is described as a conservative Catholic; in his 2006 Senate maiden speech he pledged to be guided by Judeo-Christian principles.

Abortion & reproductive policy verified

Voted in favour of Sarah Game's bill to restrict access to late-term abortions in the Legislative Council on 17 June 2026, where it passed 10 votes to 9 before being defeated in the House of Assembly.

Gender & LGBTQ+ policy verified

One Nation MLC and party state leader; former Liberal senator. A long-standing opponent of same-sex marriage: in a federal speech he linked redefining marriage to bestiality, and in 2026 said he stands by those comments '100 per cent.' In his SA maiden speech to the Legislative Council on 20 May 2026 he criticised gender-affirming healthcare, stating 'the government allows doctors to mutilate children in the name of gender-affirming care,' prompting Greens MLCs to walk out. In July 2026 he announced he had introduced a bill to ban puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for under-18s in South Australia, saying 'Kids in distress deserve counselling and support rather than irreversible intervention when the evidence is uncertain' and 'Kids first, not ideology.'

Religious freedom verified

Bernardi has a long record advocating freedom of conscience and warning of risks to religious freedom. In July 2019, as a federal Senator for SA, he tabled an 'Australian Freedoms Bill' intended to 'ring-fence Australia's key freedoms', and warned that a religious freedom act, 'unless handled carefully, gravely risks a slippery slope towards blasphemy laws.'

Freedom of speech verified

Voted for the second reading of the Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2017, which proposed replacing 'offend, insult, humiliate' with 'harass' in section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act (Senate, 30 March 2017; Ayes 32, Noes 29). Voted for Schedule 1 of that bill to stand as printed, the provision making the substitution; the Schedule was negatived and the change did not proceed (Senate, in committee, 30-31 March 2017; Ayes 28, Noes 31). He cast these votes as a senator for South Australia and has since moved to the South Australian Legislative Council.

Record last updated 2026-08-13.