Pressure mounts on Tony Abbott for free vote on gay marriage

Pressure mounts on Tony Abbott for free vote on gay marriage

NEXT week’s parliamentary debate on marriage equality has increased pressure on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to allow MPs a conscience vote on the issue after it was revealed two Liberal politicians are said to be ready to co-sponsor the proposal.

NSW Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm said this morning he would take his Freedom to Marry bill to a second reading next Thursday.

“I support marriage equality because I believe people should have the freedom to choose their own life path,” he said.

According to Leyonhjelm, openly-gay Western Australian Liberal Senator Dean Smith and Longman federal Liberal-National MP Wyatt Roy are potential co-sponsors of the bill.

Roy, Australia’s youngest MP at only 24, has proven to be a thorn in Abbott’s side being a consistent – if not vocal – advocate for marriage equality as well as a backer of the recent spill motion against the PM.

However, Labor’s deputy leader Tanya Plibersek has warned the bill stands no chance of being passed if Abbott continues to stand in the way of a free vote.

Plibersek – who said she had a marriage equality bill “drafted and ready to go” – confirmed she had held discussions with Leyonhjelm.

“But as I’ve said many times, I will only introduce the bill when Tony Abbott allows members of the Coalition party room a conscience vote, because that’s the only way the bill would have any prospect of succeeding,” she said.

When same-sex marriage was passed in New Zealand and the UK it had the backing of all the leaders of the main parties while Ireland’s upcoming referendum on the issue is also supported across the floor.

Yesterday, a motion by South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young that called on the PM to grant a conscience vote on the issue was passed through the Senate.

The Greens has said all their MPs – currently numbering one in the House of Representatives and 10 in the Senate – will vote for marriage equality while Labor has only promised a free vote.

Australian Marriage Equality deputy director Ivan Hinton-Teoh said support for same-sex marriage among coalition MPs has never been higher.

“It’s deeply embarrassing for many Australians that same-sex couples can marry in countries across the western world, including in places like Alabama, but not here in Australia,” he said.

Human Rights Commissioner, and former Liberal party member Tim Wilson, continued his call for marriage equality.

“[Gay and lesbian] Australians have paid taxes, worked, volunteered in civil society, fought and died in battle, and fallen to save others at Port Arthur and Martin Place,” he said.

“They’ve met their responsibilities; shouldn’t they get their civil rights too?”

Leyonhjelm – who is a libertarian – has worded his bill so that celebrants who object to same-sex marriage will not be forced to officiate at them, a provision which has concerned some LGBTI advocates who believe legislation should not allow discrimination in special circumstances.

The senator has his bill will not proceed beyond a second reading unless the Coalition allows its MPs a free vote.

Leyonhjelm’s bill was initially announced last October, and after initially shelving it because of “wrong timing” issues, he introduced the bill to Parliament in November.

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24 responses to “Pressure mounts on Tony Abbott for free vote on gay marriage”

  1. In this country I am not a normal human. In this country the government holds itself above the people they are supposed to serve worse than feudal lords. In this country stinking state corruption has nutered the Gay Community so completely that it can not even stand up for itself leaving only mainstream others to fight for us. This marriage debate has exposed the filthy depths of a nation without a soul. Even Dr Frankenstein can not construct a national soul out of football meat pies kangaroos and Holden cars. I was, I am, and I always will be a radical separatist. Heterosexual society offers me nothing. Nout. Fuck all. The Melbourne mob and their Queer is better than gay campaign has dumped us into a stinking Heterosexual sewer. But ask yourself this – where next? We are bound gaged and helpless. We are no better off than beggars pleading for charity. Bash back. That is the answer.

  2. Mostly awesome article with a terrible headline.

    “PRESSURE MOUNTS ON TONY ABBOTT FOR FREE VOTE ON GAY MARRIAGE”

    As a bisexual woman I can’t “gay marry” anyone. Please remember to use inclusive language and refer to marriage equality or equal marriage.

    Does anyone know if forced trans* divorce is covered in the proposed legislation so our trans* siblings don’t have to divorce in order to have their identity affirmed on their ID documents?

  3. I’m Gay but I still think that there are more pressing issues than equal marriage which should happen as a matter of course. But with this Fascist LNP government & a fairly ineffectual ALP opposition, I think that their environmental vandalism, their racist policies towards Indigenous People, their sexist policy towards women, & their inhumanity towards refugees, are all far more urgent concerns . Why would we want the permission of Fascists ??

    • TYPICAL EXCUSES:
      “Australia has more pressing issues to deal with” – while I fully agree there. But you FAIL to understand that parliaments can debate and/or pass over 150 bills into laws per year on average (e.g. The Australian Parliament in Canberra), so there is ALWAYS enough time for marriage equality – since it is a human right!

  4. A four corners program on the ABC just last week exposed that the day before the “leadership spill” of the Liberal Party emails from the National Civic Council (NCC) [never heard of them maybe afflated of the ACL and other bigoted anti-gay Christian organisations] were running relentlessly to all Liberal MPs ahead of the caucus vote – all because; [“Abbott will hold the line on marriage” – Quote, unquote]

    Source: “Christian group NCC orchestrated email spam campaign supporting Tony Abbott ahead of spill on abc.net.au”

  5. Yawn!

    Gee wiz Australia, still DEBATING marriage equality!
    Still having a so-called “conscience vote” and not a “real proper vote” on marriage equality!
    Hurry the fuck up and just IMPLEMENT marriage equality for fuck sake!

    By the way, Tony Abbott loves Holocaust references in Question Time – twice in a month in fact!
    I always said Tony Abbott makes Adolf Hitler look progressive!

  6. Given that our politicians are elected by the people and therefore supposed to represent the views of their constituents, how can they justify not approving same sex marriage when more than 70% of Australians approve this very same issue.
    The personal views of individual politicians are completely irrelevant.

  7. The fact remains ALL politicians are elected to represent and be the voice of the ppl. The overwhelming majority of the ppl of Australia believe marriage equality should occur. Therefore I cannot understand how the politicians are saying “oh but I believe marriage is between a man and a woman blah blah blah” they are not elected to represent their personal opinions.

    • Both the Liberal and Labor parties are all a bunch of useless tools!
      And Tony Abbott is missing the whole god dam toolbox!

  8. I never understood why Julia Gillard was so dead set against marriage equality. If she can’t see her way to understanding it I cannot expect Abbott to ever understand.

    • That’s exactly it, Greg. And it’s one of the most disappointing things about her Prime Ministership. She showed such good leadership in so many areas, but utterly failed on same sex marriage and refugee policy.

      The worst part — for me — was her hypocritical excuse about a “conservative upbringing” giving her traditional attitudes about marriage. While she lived an utterly non-traditional life herself. Weakness I can get, political reality I can get, but hypocrisy is just too much.

    • You’ve missed the important point – we need a free vote in parliament and Abbott is blocking any conservative member of parliament from supporting marriage equality. (Gillard did support a free vote of the ALP, but lamentably, her own vote was against)

  9. Its well overdue, with luck Australia will become the 72nd country to give Equal Equality regarding marriage. NO more discrimination in my life for my parnter and I will be amazing. NOT sure if we will get married but knowing I can will mean that Australia is a true Democracy.