Marriage equality opponents “desperate” to delay: advocates
OPPONENTS of marriage equality are “desperate” to delay by “any justification”, according to advocates responding to attacks by a number of Liberal MPs on the announcement of a new cross-party bill.
The private member’s bill for marriage equality will be put forward by Liberal MPs Warren Entsch and Teresa Gambaro and supported by Labor’s Terri Butler and Laurie Ferguson, with support indicated from Greens MP Adam Bandt and independent MPs Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan.
Liberal senator Eric Abetz today argued Australia should not follow Ireland and the US on the issue because no Asian nation had.
“The Labor Party and other journalists tell us time and time again that we are living in the Asian century, tell me how many Asian countries have redefined marriage?” Abetz told the ABC.
Responding, Australian Marriage Equality (AME) Campaign Director Ivan Hinton-Teoh told the Star Observer Abetz’s comments were telling.
“I think it reflects how desperate those opposed to marriage equality have become in trying to find any justification for Australia’s continued delay in achieving it,” he said.
“It’s remarkably interesting, astonishing really that Abetz is using Asia as Australia’s new moral compass. Not just our morals though, but our cultural cues.
“Our closest ally and our traditional cultural allies that we’re linked to have all achieved same-sex marriage and now look at Australia with some sympathy.”
Other Coalition MPs also took to the airwaves to vent their disapproval at their colleagues.
Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells described it as an “ambush” without consultation and that it favoured the opposition, while government whip Andrew Nikolic said the issue of marriage equality lacked momentum and is “totally misreading” the needs of Australians.
Speaking to the Star Observer, co-sponsor of the new bill and Labor MP for Griffith Terri Butler denied Fierravanti-Well’s claim that parliament had been “ambushed” by the news.
“I saw [those comments] and I can say from my perspective there was no ambush,” Butler said.
“I think it’s been quite well known amongst people in the parliament that there’s been some cross-party work towards a marriage equality bill… I think that everyone in the Liberal party room knows exactly what the issue is and in their hearts they should have a free vote on this.
“I hope that they will do that, even those who are staunchly against marriage equality would at least recognise the principle that there should be that in their party that claims to be the party of a free vote, an opportunity for people to actually openly and freely cast their vote for or against this bill.”
Butler also took issue with Nikolic’s characterisation that marriage equality and the bill would serve as a distraction for other issues facing the country.
“It is not a distraction for any of people that I know who would like to get married… It’s not a distraction to the children of same-sex relationships who would like their parents to have the right to get legally married,” she said.
“Calling this a distraction is really offensive. I know that Andrew might not want to deal with this issue but characterising it as a distraction is wrong.”
Speaking to Sky News, Senator Abetz described the almost decade long campaign to legislate for same-sex marriage as the “latest fad”.
“If you undo the institution of marriage by redefining it for the latest movement or the latest fad, you will open the Pandora’s box for all sorts of other potential possibilities,” he said.
He later clarified that he was concerned that a push for recognising polyamory would follow legalisation of same-sex marriage.
Abetz also took the chance to call on front-bench colleagues who defied the Liberal party’s “long-established policy” on marriage to take “the honourable course of action” and quit their leadership positions.
Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull has a long-standing position of favouring marriage equality.
AME National Director Rodney Croome hit back at the comments from Liberal MPs, calling for action on the issue “sooner rather than later”.
“I understand Mr Entsch has been discussing this with his colleagues and the Prime Minister’s office for several weeks so there is no question of an ambush,” he said.
“We want to see a vote in parliament before the end of the year.”
Speaking to the media a short time ago, the prime minister said the bill and the subsequent commentary this morning had “excited a lot of media” and accepted that same-sex marriage was an “important issue”.
Abbott also repeated a message he had delivered to party members this morning that it is “quite unusual” for private members’ bills to come to a vote in parliament.
He also said that the “normal processes will be followed” in regards to the treatment of the cross-party bill.
My Order just introduced…
Legislative Instruments and Acts (Marriage Equality) Order 2015
(1) WEREAS; All references throughout all Australian Acts of Parliament and common law that say; “man”, “woman”, “male”, “female”, “husband”, “wife”, “him”, “he”,
“she”, “her”, etc. – are to must now include same-sex partners and/or same-sex spouses under this Order! (e.g. both the Marriage Act 1961 and the Family Law Act 1975).
(2) WEREAS; All references throughout all Australian legislative instruments, regulations and common law that say; “man”, “woman”, “male”, “female”, “husband”, “wife”, “him”, “he”,
“she”, “her”, etc. – are to must now include same-sex partners and/or same-sex spouses under this Order!
(3) This Order becomes effective from the date of issue!
Legislative Instruments and Acts (Marriage Equality) Order 2015
Issued: 9/7/2015, Thursday at 4:30PM!
Repeal the whole Marriage Act 1961!
Can the politicians give back the lives of the LGBTI children who have died? If not, they should stop violating other people’s human rights.
Tony Abbott is the new Kim-john-ill!
Tony Abbott should be in jail for very serious human rights violations on a grand scale – like Robert Mugabe!
Interesting that Tony Abbott’s argument about same sex marriage and other international issues is that Australia is a sovereign nation and we shouldn’t take marching orders from other countries. Maybe MP Abetz should follow Tony’s lead on this one and let Australia decided for itself.
The trouble with Tony Abbott, is that he is not an Australian citizen and is an ugly alien from the planet Jupiter. He came here by his spaceship back in 6700BC and has refused to move ever since!
What Next?… Conservatives yelling out “But gays cause earthquakes in Newcastle and drought in rural areas of Australia, that is why gay marriage can not be allowed in Australia!”
Just 2 days ago from another dopy and stupid MP – apparently “gay marriage will open up a Pandora’s box!” – how silly and unjustified!
Stupid arguments to delay and delay, just like the one from another MP who said “gay marriage should not be allowed, because they can not procreate!” – wrong, then explain well then elderly people can legally get married.
And this one “Marriage has always been between one man and one woman” – eh, wrong!
Are these MPs on both sides on another planet or what, maybe Jupiter – or even Jupiter’s Casio in Queensland, wasting taxpayers money!
We, supposedly, elect these clowns to WORK for US – They should respond to our demands. A Plebiscite – as has been so disingenuously proposed by some of our politicians is a farce and they know it. Unlike a Referendum which is, a Plebiscite is NOT BINDING on any Parliament. It is nothing more than a Survey to gauge the Voter’s thinking on any subject. Yes, a Plebiscite would pass but our politicians could & probably would simply choose to ignore it.
Let’s have a Referendum – a Simple question with a Yes or No answer. If it passed then Parliament would be required, BY LAW, to accede to the wishes of the Voters.
Any gay person who votes LNP, Katter or Christian parties at the next federal election – should be immediately banned from entering gay clubs, bars, restaurants, trade unions, and other goods and services that cater to the gay community! I personally have another idea – lets just repeal all straight marriages in Australia (meaning the repeal of the whole Marriage Act 1961)!
I am 27 years old and a single gay man and mate you are as stupid and crazy as Tony Abbott!
Vote 1 Greens
Walked down Oxford Street lately Hayden? With so few gay venues these days your proposition won’t work. And deep down I think that’s the real purpose of this conformity – oops, I mean equality.
No you have it all wrong Hayden, we need to ban all conservative Christians and bigoted cunts from marrying!
Tony Abbott and the rest of the LNP mob are total and complete useless cunts!
What Mark wrote on a previous SSO page was absolutely correct!
This is the exact quote:
“Tony Abbott is the WORST prime minister Australia has ever had – kiss your human rights good bye! A new world order is happening in Australia folks I swear it, Tony Abbott the dictator is starting to take our personal civil rights and liberties away – under the disguise of the old 2005 John Howard Handbook of “national security” line! They started with the new law on journalists, then metadata, then blocking websites! They did the very same thing back 11 years ago in 2004 on banning gay marriage in Australia – under the “it’s in the bible” line – under the John Howard last minute law before the 2004 election. Next Tony Abbott will form an alliance with Christian Theocracy mates of both Fred Nile and Cory Bernardi to outlaw gay sex and very secretly change over to become an ISIS/ISL Muslim nation under the disguise of Christianity – just like Bali and Indonesia right next door! Tony Abbott is not even a citizen of this country! But now he wants to target people’s citizenship. This has to stop now! This country is now under Christian Taliban control and now has website filters just like Dictatorship Communist North Korea and China! This is no longer Australia – all because of Tony Abbott and previous PMs in government!”
Delaying the inevitable? Tony Abbott is clearly the next Adolf Hitler, he is coming for us LGBTI people. You have all been warned!