Tim Wilson suggests marriage equality doesn’t matter to Australian population

Tim Wilson suggests marriage equality doesn’t matter to Australian population

LIBERAL MP Tim Wilson spoke to Sky News yesterday on marriage equality, in perhaps the briefest political interview ever.

Amid recent talks of how to resolve the question of marriage equality in Australia, Wilson was invited to discuss the ongoing developments in his party on the issue, SBS News has reported.

Host Peter Van Onselen asked, “Do you like the idea of a secret ballot in the party?”

“I have said everything I have to say on this issue and I make no plans to make any other comment at this time,” said Wilson.

“I’d rather talk about something else that actually matters to the Australian population.”

Wilson listed several things he’d prefer to talk about, then concluded, “I’ve said what I’ve said on this issue.”

Van Onselen thanked Wilson for his time and cut the interview short, after just 29 seconds.

The host later told The Australian he had expected Wilson to discuss the subject in some way.

“I just decided in the spur of the moment to end the interview if he wasn’t willing to answer a fair question,” he said.

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9 responses to “Tim Wilson suggests marriage equality doesn’t matter to Australian population”

  1. I agree with Tim Wilson! The whole marriage equality issue is being misused as a distraction from those important issues, such as housing affordability, energy costs, etc.
    NO ONE CARES as it will not affect the rest of the country in any way, if gay people marry. That’s the point, it will have ZERO impact overall on the rest of Australia, and so why would it be an issue either way?

  2. Wilson undoubtedly is a party hack and this is the line that has been put out as part of the Liberal party’s way of dealing with the fact that they cannot resolve this issue. Turnbull and Barnaby have used this angle as well. There is something for the gay and lesbian community to consider in looking back at the tactics used over recent months. Those tactics have been too low key and their failure is influencing the outcome of the debate to our cause’s detriment. So few of the campaigning tactics that could take the issue back to the public have been used. Winning opinion polls is not enough.

    What a farce it has become with the people deciding the future of same sex marriage being those in parliament who most want it to be defeated. A postal plebiscite could be a dreadful result from the current round of coalition infighting over the issue: legal hurdles, potentially low voter turnout especially among the young leading to an impression that public support is less than it actually is, and the nasty pubic debate that the gay and lesbian community tried to avoid with it’s opposition to the original plebiscite.
    So the last few weeks of debate around the issue has been consequential but where has our community’s campaign been? The public side to the campaign has been lacking and it is starting to show in comments made by coalition politicians about the lack of interest in change shown by Australians. The conservative pollies are saying that their inaction (and a plebiscite is a type of deferral) is justifiable due to it being a lower order issue for Australians. There is so much more that isn’t being done to present the case. Why is this so?

  3. Sorry–

    For those who believe that inequality of rights of Australian citizens is “just fine”– well– no, it is most decidedly NOT Ok!

    To that, I’d say, go live in the USA where Prez Chump, “pussy-grabber” wants to lead the idiot-fold there. So, leave “fair-go” AU, please, Tim.

    Every modern society cannot pretend that our society doesn’t evolve. There ought to be no drama over rights of same-sex, consenting couples. If you’re trying to say there ought to be, then I would suggest you’re not at all secure in the very privilege you’ve enjoyed for generations.

  4. It doesn’t matter what percentage of the population have interest in same sex marriage, it’s matter of equal and human rights and Wilson insults people by inferring it’s some sort of fringe matter that the majority of Australians may not be concerned with.
    Wilson may just as well say the vast majority of Australians have little interest in the lives of country people despite a minority of MPs in the Nats who get about the same vote as The Greens (with vastly more seats) promoting the interest of farmers and that’s how it should be. If someone doesn’t speak for minorities who will?
    Good for Onselon for ditching the party hack so he couldn’t ramble on with some party line.

  5. Tim Wilson is a Laissez-faire capitalist. He would see pubic health, public schools, public transport and our independent public broadcasters asset stripped and sold off.
    People like him hold the U.S. distopic system of capitalism as what they would like Australia to be.
    I don’t care that he’s gay, he’s a Tory which makes him persona non grata in my book.

  6. Dave I agree with you. I think POV was acting like a school yard bully and when things didn’t go his way he took his bat and ball and ran home to sulk.

  7. Once again I’m sticking up for the Liberals but I think Tim Wilson was actually saying that marriage equality will not have much bearing on the overall direction of Australian society. And he’s right. The fact that so many of his colleagues are trying to claim that it’s going to be some sort of massive change which needs careful consideration is the actual problem here. They are the ones who are wrong.

    It’s going to be wonderful for about 2-4 per cent of the population who enter same sex marriages. It’s going to be great for the, let’s say, 20-30 per cent of the population who have gay relatives or close friends who will get to attend some weddings. And it’s going to have zero impact at all on the rest.

    It’s a great reason to just get it done. The naysayers and homophobes will be proved wrong.

    Tim Wilson has every right not to comment publicly on internal Liberal Party processes when he’s potentially close to actually making a difference. He’s said a lot, he didn’t need to say more to Peter Van Onselen and it was actually a bit disappointing that the usually excellent PVO chose not to discuss anything else.

    • ” I think Tim Wilson was actually saying that marriage equality will not have much bearing on the overall direction of Australian society.”

      …No, he was saying he didn’t think that aussies care. You can tell he said that because those are the words he used, he just dismissed the entire conversation outright in one sentence. I mean sure, we can pretend he said something else but in reality, he just said he thinks Australians don’t care.