Nationals go on attack on same-sex marriage

Two National Party Senators have attacked Labor, the Greens and independent MP Tony Windsor on the issue of same-sex marriage.

Nationals Senator for NSW John Williams criticised Windsor’s announcement of support for the Greens’ Adam Bandt’s motion calling on MPs to seek their constituents views on same-sex marriage.

Williams claimed Windsor had not sought his constituents views on the need for Government policy such as the National Broadband Network or his decision to support Labor forming government.

“But the Greens come knocking on the door on gay marriage and Mr Windsor will run off to his constituents for guidance,” said Williams.

Windsor is a former National Party member who took the seat of New England from the Nationals Stuart St. Claire in 2001.

Prior to that, he held the Nationals coveted state seat of Tamworth for ten years.

“The Member for New England is playing populist politics and lacks leadership”, said Williams.

Meanwhile the Nationals’ Senator Ron Boswell has offered to take any Labor senator or Member of Parliament to a working class pub of their choosing to see if they can sell the issue of same-sex marriage to patrons.

Senator Boswell described the issue of marriage equality as a “fringe preoccupation” despite repeated polls showing a majority of Australians to be in favour of it.

“Labor is bleeding from the right and the left but seems hypnotised by the Greens,” said Boswell.

“Even the Labor left is lurching for fringe preoccupations like gay marriage to try and recover their credentials.”

“I’ll happily take any Labor Senator – or Member – to the front bar of any working class pub – so they can sell a gay marriage policy.”