Maverick Senator Cory Bernardi's worst fears about polygamy being realised What's going on behind that faraway gaze? South Australian Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi has some strident views on same-sex marriage and its consequences. A WAVE of support for polyamorous unions has swept Australia, proving Cory "Firebrand" Bernardi right. The Liberal South Australian Senator banished himself to the back bench last year after an uproar over comments he made in Parliament about same-sex marriage, bestiality, and polygamy. His comments were broadly poo pooed at the time - how on Earth could legalising same-sex marriage open the door to unholy unions between man and beast? But he was right, apparently. Dozens of people - 25, to be precise - have signed a petition for the "full recognition of polyamorous families." The Polyaction Amory Lobby say that "for too long has Australia denied people the right to marry the ones they care about." We find this abhorrent. We believe that everyone should be allowed to marry their partners, and that the law should never be a barrier to love," their petition states. Senator Bernardi has today told Fairfax media that this means "it's happening." Still doubtful that the gateways to all manner of marriages have come entirely off their hinges? This revelation of a broad change in public sentiment comes just weeks after fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld declared he would marry his pet cat if he could. "I never thought that I would fall in love like this with a cat," he told the Daily Mail. Polyamorous families. Pussy love. Whatever next? Senator Bernardi's comments have quickly led to the Greens lashing out. His fellow SA Senator Sarah Hanson Young - who will introduce a Bill to recognise international same-sex marriage on Thursday - called his comments "disgraceful" and reminded people that Senator Bernardi is "the voice of the Liberal Party in SA as their lead Senate Candidate." And so we get down to brass tacks. The Liberal Party is currently sitting pretty to take power, and may even dare to dream of controlling both houses with the help of other conservative Senators. Taking Senator Hanson-Young's SA Senate seat would be a marvellous scalp to pick up and put them merrily on their way. There are whispers around that the battle has taken a turn for the ugly as all the big personalities of the Senate - usually more genial than their House counterparts - are starting to get a bit on edge. Senator Bernardi says bestiality and polyamory are linked to the Greens "radical agenda." Senator Hanson Young in turn accused him of "ignorant hate speech." As the Rudd camp fights the Gillard camp and both want to fight the Abbott camp, there's an interesting warm-up match happening in the wings. Meanwhile, the winner is probably the Polyamory Action Group, who could previously only dream of so much PR.