Liberal Party to get free vote on marriage equality despite plebiscite: Turnbull

Liberal Party to get free vote on marriage equality despite plebiscite: Turnbull

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed his party members will be allowed a free vote on marriage equality in parliament despite a costly plebiscite.

Speaking in Tasmania, Turnbull said he has no doubt if the plebiscite is carried that the overwhelming majority of MPS and senators will vote for it.

But when asked if his cabinet would be bound by the result of the plebiscite, he said it is the tradition of the Liberal party to have a free vote.

“But I would expect – you take Scott Morrison, for example,” Turnbull said.

“Scott has indicated that he would abide by the decision of the Australian people and of course – so I think we have a very – it’s a pretty straight-forward situation where you have a question of great interest to many Australians, to most Australians, which will be decided by a plebiscite where every Australian will get a vote, every Australian will have the same vote as me or Will or any other member of parliament and that will determine the outcome of the matter.”

Greens marriage equality spokesperson Senator Robert Simms called on Turnbull to show some spine.

“I think most Australians would be scratching their heads this morning. How exactly can the Prime Minister justify spending $160 million on what is in effect a giant opinion poll that isn’t even binding on his own members,” he said.

“To subject the LGBTI community to this ugly and divisive hate campaign would serve no purpose other than to appease the conservative forces on Mr Turnbull’s back bench. It’s time for some spine from this Prime Minister.

“If the Prime Minister is willing to grant his members a free vote on marriage equality following the plebiscite, why doesn’t he just take the plebiscite off the table and let the parliament decide.”

Turnbull has stood behind Tony Abbott’s promised plebiscite despite originally speaking out against it and the $160 million price tag.

Labor leader Bill Shorten has promised a vote on marriage equality in the first 100 days of government.

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7 responses to “Liberal Party to get free vote on marriage equality despite plebiscite: Turnbull”

  1. Yes but lets not forget… Pauline Hanson, right after her blast into Islam, Muslims, Immigration, Multiculturalism, there will be an inquiry against all things “Gay”. Watch her past interviews on Youtube, she says shes against Mardigras because its celebrates something un-natural.

    Hooray for the Xenophobic government we all voted for!

  2. So I’m understandably confused. The LNP is unable to make laws in regards to marriage equality, so they will have a costly unnecessary plebiscite and then have a conscience vote as to whether they will pass marriage equality as a law? So why the plebiscite, just have the conscience vote. Better yet, do what you may be elected to do, pass some laws and give marriage equality to Australia. The huge international embarrassment and the last first world country to pass marriage equality… apart from Russia.

  3. Too all the gay people in Malcolm Turnbull’s Wentworth electorate, hang your heads in shame for re-electing this nassasistic homophobic and very arrogant doshbag.

  4. I am deeply very confused?

    Malcolm Turnbull supports marriage equality, but will deny his own Liberal party a “conscience vote”?

    But Bill Shorten supports marriage equality, but legislation might not pass the Australian Parliament – without a binding vote in the Labor party?

    I think I will just vote for the Greens. It’s much easier!

  5. Turnbull rewards opponents of equal rights.

    He denied a free vote to those Libs who supported marriage equality – now he turns around and guarantees a free vote to marriage opponents!

    This man is no friend of the LGBTI. Sitting in the Mardi gras VIP viewing room, while drinking complimentary champagne is not support.

  6. And how soon will this come after the results of the highly divisive plebiscite, I wonder. The next sitting of Parliament? A month later? Two months? Six? Or perhaps: never?
    If he’s serious about allowing such a vote, then he must state precisely when the plebiscite will occur, when that vote will follow it, and then follow through with that promise. And he must declare that the time between the two events will be no greater than is necessary for the results of the plebiscite to sink into the politicians’ minds before they vote.
    Of course, I’m still of the mind that there should be no plebiscite, and that he should simply allow a free vote on the issue. But if he’s not going to back down on the plebiscite, then he must at least guarantee when its results will trigger that free vote he claims he’ll give the Parliament on the matter. Otherwise, his words are nothing more than another stumbling, bumbling, halting false promise mumbled out of the side of a politician’s mouth. And we all know how often that sort of promise gets fulfilled.

  7. Billions cut from Medicare are now called “changes”, while heterosexual supremacist LNP members saying they will vote against the plebiscite no matter what the outcome are now ” participating in a conscience vote”, and of course apartheid is now called a “plebiscite”. Malcolm Turnbull is inciting violence and hatred against GLBTI Australians, and the charming narcissistic personality of Mr Turnbull calls that “freedom of speech”. Notice his smirk when he does all that!