Liberals pushing for marriage equality debate before the next election
Image: (PHOTO: David Alexander; Star Observer)
LIBERAL backbenchers have been discussing ways to hold a parliamentary vote on marriage equality before the next election, a recent report has revealed.
According to the Herald Sun, there are talks among Liberals to resolve the issue next year as a means to avoid having the debate dominate the next federal election.
One idea allegedly being pushed for is for the government to liaise with crossbench MPs to introduce a marriage equality bill, giving the Coalition total control over the legislation.
“You might find that the independents will come up with a solution,” one Liberal MP said.
The idea is being pushed in part because it would allow the Coalition to include religious exemptions in the bill, to avoid Labor introducing far less protections for religious organisations.
However, a senior Government source told the Herald Sun that this move was unlikely as the matter would be instead dealt with exclusively by the Liberal party room.
“This time the Nationals won’t be in there,” the MP said.
However, any attempt to put the issue back on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s agenda would need to be driven by the backbench.
If a vote or bill were to be introduced it would require the government to revisit the issue for the first time since Turnbull’s plebiscite-enabling legislation was blocked in the Senate earlier this month.
While some backbenchers have expressed their desire to get marriage equality out of the way before the next election, others haven’t been as supportive.
Victorian Nationals MP Andrew Broad said he would withdraw support from Turnbull if it were to allow a free vote in parliament.
“The government that I am a part of and will remain a part of is conditional on the fact that the only way there will be a change to the Marriage Act in this parliament is a plebiscite,” he said last month.
The Australian Greens have welcomes reports of a renewed discussion in the Liberal party about a way forward to achieve marriage equality.
Senator Janet Rice said the Greens have reiterated their call on Turnbull to grant his MPs a free vote so the parliament can do its job.
“We look forward to working with the Coalition, Labor, and crossbench MPs to progress legislation that removes barriers to equality,” she said.
Over ninety LGBTI leaders and groups recently called on the government to hold a free vote in parliament.
There won’t be a vote in parliament because the people voted for a plebiscite at the last federal election that has now been blocked by the Senate….the people don’t want any other way of legalizing same sex marriage this term of parliament. For the left-wing activists to try a push through a conscience vote (which, by the way, the plebiscite is a conscience vote of the electorate so they would have got their conscience vote by having a plebiscite) is totally irrelevant and contrary to what the people want – the people don’t like elitist activists forcing their arrogance and skewed version of reality on the rest of us. There is a high likelihood that the Coalition government will get re-elected as the right-wing voters stand up against the Marxist activists, thereby stopping homosexual marriage from ever happening in Australia. The homosexual activists are now shown to be dead scared of a NO vote if the people ever have a say about legalizing SSM which is why they doggedly opposed a plebiscite. This has no motivated the right-wing voters to oppose SSM more than ever and they are no longer intimidated by all the name-calling stunts by SSM activists. Lets think about the main argument against the SSM plebiscite. The SS people & political supporters are basically standing on the roof claiming they will jump off unless parliament simply passes the legislation. The gay communities are full of significant psychological issues, self harm & suicides & that an open discussion around a SSM plebiscite will drive many more to jump off. That line of political argument will come back to bite them in the long term. The truth is more likely that AUS is deeply conservative & in spite of the noisy few supporters – the SSM plebiscite may have been voted down. Given the partisan approach from the Greens & ALP the probability of a SSM plebiscite passing is shrinking . The pressure on the Greens & ALP will start building after Feb 2017. If Turnball doesn’t see same sex marriage legalized this parliament, why is this now his and the Government’s responsibility? They provided a solution. Labor, The Greens, others, rejected that solution … so it is up to those who rejected the plebiscite to generate a solution. Ball is now in the other court, returned with a smash … and can be ignored as it bounces out of court. Wanting MP’s to vote on this is the same analogy as litigants wanting a trial to be before a judge and not a jury – they don’t want their fellow man to have a say. The Government have nothing to lose by waiting it out and see if Labor/Greens/NXT/Hinch can climb themselves out of the hole that they have dug by delaying SSM (so the Government doesn’t get the bragging rights for legislating SSM) and also denying the public a chance to have their say seeing as the plebiscite was a policy that the Government won at the federal election.
Do not blame me, I voted Labor!
The public wanted a plebiscite on SSM and that was denied to us – so the issue is finished….you had your chance and you blew it. The public now don’t want any change to the Marriage Act any other way and we don’t want the elitist lefties relentlessly trying to shove same sex marriage down our throats by using sly, deceitful political maneuverings. SSM is dead and buried…..so leave us alone, or more right-wing pollies will get elected.
So the LNP will allow gay marriage? When frogs do fractions that is!