Turnbull reaffirms personal pledge to gay community

Turnbull reaffirms personal pledge to gay community

Malcolm Turnbull renewed his personal pre-election pledge to remove discrimination against same-sex couples within hours of his taking over the federal Liberal leadership.

The Liberal party room agreed on Tuesday, and will support the Rudd Government’s equality reform bills with amendments.

Now, there are issues about drafting and language, but the principle of ending discrimination is a given, Turnbull said.

He confirmed that he had the full support of his shadow cabinet and backbench colleagues, who had previously baulked at the reforms that would only benefit same-sex couples.

Party room leaks revealed ousted opposition leader Brendan Nelson used his final hours as leader to demand rebel MPs fall into line on the same-sex reforms; however, his position was a compromise one. Same-sex couples as well as interdependent relationships had to be included, not automatically but opt-in, for the Opposition to vote in favour.

It is understood that position was endorsed under Turnbull on Tuesday. Debate is expected to resume in Parliament today, where the new compromise will be put to the Rudd Government.

Congratulations for Turnbull came quickly from within the gay and lesbian community, based on his previous statements on same-sex equality and support for HIV charities.

Same-sex superannuation activist John Challis said Turnbull’s renewed pledge was exactly what he expected from someone who had joined Warren Entsch in his efforts to persuade former prime minister John Howard to remove same-sex discrimination.

Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby co-convenors Emily Gray and Peter Johnson welcomed Turnbull’s ascension to Liberal leader, describing him as someone who never shied away from his public support for reform.

However, they were concerned by the interdependent relationship category that was proposed under Nelson’s leadership.

We, along with the Australian Human Rights Commission and many other key organisations, have articulated on numerous occasions the pitfalls of such an approach, and have also included this in our submission to the [Senate] Inquiry, they said.

That inquiry, the last of four, will begin hearings this week.

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10 responses to “Turnbull reaffirms personal pledge to gay community”

  1. oliver….you obviously have no taste…or you can’t pull a good looking guy…what the hell do you look like yourself oliver…eeeeek!!!!!!

  2. Chris, Im comfortable in Kirribilli! Nice village atmosphere, Harbour walks, Luna Park, No Bashings!!!! Why would I move away from here!! Mal Turnbull does look good in his speedos!! He looks better than majority Guys that sleaze onto you on Oxford Street!!!!

  3. Mr Turnbull is the leader of the party that is stopping same sex law reform by sending all of the legislation to committees rather than just passing it! He may SAY that he supports reform but his actions speak for louder than words. Who matters more to Turnbull – his GLBT constituents or the extreme right of the Liberal Party?

  4. oliver ..for God’s sake… google malcolm turnbull in his speedos….and then tell me you think he is hot!

    oliver you really need to get out more ( or at least get out of the mothballs and out of Kirribilli!!!!

  5. As a Labor supporter and voter, I hate ALL liberal party members (by the way I do not trust Malcolm Turnbull at all).

  6. So I think Malcolm Turnbull is Hot, makes me disturbed! Not all of us are Superficial in the men we like! Chris, thats what you get for living in Darlo for too long.

  7. oliver ..you are deeply deeply disturbed….you need to get out more !!!!!( is this what happens when you move to Kirribilli..eeeek )

  8. Malcolm- get rid of the insulting third class “interdependant status”. We just want to be classed as equal de-facto in the bill, and not watered down with spinster sisters as a ridiculous insulting “sweetner” to get the bill passed.
    By the way… if you really believed in real equality, you would be pushing for equal choice to access Civil Marriage, like many other countries are now enjoying while Australia is still dragging it’s feet.