Controversial amendments to marriage bill set to be defeated in final debate

Controversial amendments to marriage bill set to be defeated in final debate

The controversial amendments to the marriage bill being debated in parliament are likely to be blocked by key MPs who refuse to support them.

Members backing the bill believe they have enough votes to form a majority to defeat any changes, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

A range of proposed amendments were introduced to the House of Representatives on Monday, which would allow discrimination against same-sex couples by civil celebrants, businesses and charities.

MPs Michael Sukkar and Andrew Hastie, who introduced the amendments, claimed anti-discrimination laws were “significantly unbalanced” toward protecting LGBTI people, while offering “no protection at all” to those who would like to discriminate against them.

Sukkar and Hastie also want the Marriage Act to “separately recognise both man–woman marriage and two-person marriage”, which has been criticised as a problematic “separate but equal” approach to same-sex marriage.

The proposed amendments are largely the same as those rejected by the Senate last week.

Key crossbenchers and Liberal MPs have said they will not back the amendments.

Financial Services Minister Kelly O’Dwyer said she is unconvinced by the proposed amendments so far, and key crossbencher Cathy McGowan said “they would have to be good arguments” to earn her support.

The marriage equality bill is still expected to pass unchanged this week.

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2 responses to “Controversial amendments to marriage bill set to be defeated in final debate”

  1. I really think despite hideous postal vote , Australia really needs to remember Malcom Turnbull as the prime minister who bought this to us all and despite the anger hostility and possible amendments which won’t happen , it is he who has bought this forward despite vile conservative obstacles , namely his own cabinet , well it is about to become a reality and I for one think he needs to be acknowledged and let’s never forget Julia’s comments and labors inaffectiveness on this

    • Rudd and Gillard were ineffective but even under Gillard the ALP came to its conscience vote position in what, 2012? If the Liberals, who famously declare themselves to be non-binding on their MP’s, had ever done the same at any point prior to the survey we’d already have marriage equality. The Yes side has had the numbers across parties in both the House and Senate for many years, it was the right of the Liberal Party holding guns to the moderates heads which stopped any progress.

      Turnbull has undoubtedly changed some minds within his own party on the issue and is to be remembered as a long-time supporter of the cause. But as PM he’s been useless. He hasn’t steered the issue through Cabinet like you pretend, he’s just gone along with the team. He even let No voter Mathias Corrman run the survey.

      As Magda Szubanski commented on these pages last week, there have been suicides which may not have occurred had the vote with it’s disgusting No campaign not been held.

      And all the Libs had to do to avoid it was to listen to the advice of their strategist Lynton Crosby, see the success enjoyed by conservative PM’s like David Cameron and John Key who unlike Turnbull showed great leadership, and celebrate giving their MP’s the freedom to vote their consciences in Parliament. Pikers.