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| Joe Bullock quits Senate over Labor's compulsory support of marriage equality | Joe Bullock quits Senate over Labor's compulsory support of marriage equality |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Labor senator Joe Bullock will resign from his upper house seat because he cannot back the ALP’s policy of locking in a vote in favour of marriage equality from 2019. | |
| Bullock, who was first on Labor’s Western Australian Senate ticket in 2013 and would not have faced the voters in a half-Senate poll this year, said he could not go to an election advocating Labor’s marriage equality position and would resign at the end of this sitting session – in late March. | Bullock, who was first on Labor’s Western Australian Senate ticket in 2013 and would not have faced the voters in a half-Senate poll this year, said he could not go to an election advocating Labor’s marriage equality position and would resign at the end of this sitting session – in late March. |
| At last July’s national conference, Labor reached a compromise deal that members and senators would have a conscience vote on marriage equality for the next two parliaments, but after that would be bound to vote for it. | At last July’s national conference, Labor reached a compromise deal that members and senators would have a conscience vote on marriage equality for the next two parliaments, but after that would be bound to vote for it. |
| Bullock said this decision meant he had left the conference “shocked, alone and in deep despond”. | Bullock said this decision meant he had left the conference “shocked, alone and in deep despond”. |
| “I had expected one of two outcomes to this debate; either the issue, were it to come before the parliament, would continue to be the subject of a conscience vote or, alternatively, the conference would decide to change its position and deny Labor members a conscience vote. | “I had expected one of two outcomes to this debate; either the issue, were it to come before the parliament, would continue to be the subject of a conscience vote or, alternatively, the conference would decide to change its position and deny Labor members a conscience vote. |
| “I was prepared to deal with either outcome – on the one hand if a conscience vote was allowed I would vote with my conscience against homosexual marriage; on the other hand if a conscience vote was denied to me I would vote with my conscience against homosexual marriage and reluctantly accept the inevitable consequence of such defiance being expulsion from the party. | “I was prepared to deal with either outcome – on the one hand if a conscience vote was allowed I would vote with my conscience against homosexual marriage; on the other hand if a conscience vote was denied to me I would vote with my conscience against homosexual marriage and reluctantly accept the inevitable consequence of such defiance being expulsion from the party. |
| “This I could justify to myself on the basis that the party which I had been elected to represent afforded members a conscience vote on the issue; that it would be the party and not me which had changed the ground rules and that it could not reasonably expect me to abandon my conscience on that meagre basis,” he said. | “This I could justify to myself on the basis that the party which I had been elected to represent afforded members a conscience vote on the issue; that it would be the party and not me which had changed the ground rules and that it could not reasonably expect me to abandon my conscience on that meagre basis,” he said. |
| But the actual conference outcome has left him dogged by the question; “How can I, in good conscience, recommend to people that they vote for a party which has determined to deny its parliamentarians a conscience vote on the homosexual marriage question – a question which I regard as having a fundamental significance to the future shape of our society?” | But the actual conference outcome has left him dogged by the question; “How can I, in good conscience, recommend to people that they vote for a party which has determined to deny its parliamentarians a conscience vote on the homosexual marriage question – a question which I regard as having a fundamental significance to the future shape of our society?” |
| He had concluded, “The simple answer is that I can’t.” | He had concluded, “The simple answer is that I can’t.” |
| “As a Labor Senator it is my job to tell voters that it does not matter that Labor will outlaw the conscience vote on homosexual marriage and to recommend a vote for Labor without reservation. That is the job description of a Labor Senator. It is a job which I cannot do. | “As a Labor Senator it is my job to tell voters that it does not matter that Labor will outlaw the conscience vote on homosexual marriage and to recommend a vote for Labor without reservation. That is the job description of a Labor Senator. It is a job which I cannot do. |
| “Accordingly it is my intention to write to the President to tender my resignation. I understand that such letters take effect immediately upon their receipt and in consequence I will defer writing for a short time,” he said. | “Accordingly it is my intention to write to the President to tender my resignation. I understand that such letters take effect immediately upon their receipt and in consequence I will defer writing for a short time,” he said. |
| Bullock, a long-time office holder in the conservative Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA), was forced to apologise a few months after the 2013 election when a recording of a speech emerged in which he described some Labor members as “mad” and questioned whether his running mate Louise Pratt really was a lesbian since her partner had had a sex change. | Bullock, a long-time office holder in the conservative Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA), was forced to apologise a few months after the 2013 election when a recording of a speech emerged in which he described some Labor members as “mad” and questioned whether his running mate Louise Pratt really was a lesbian since her partner had had a sex change. |
| He recently spoke out against the safe schools anti-bullying campaign. | He recently spoke out against the safe schools anti-bullying campaign. |
| Bullock, who worked with former prime minister Tony Abbott more than 30 years ago to take over the Sydney University Liberal club also said of Abbott in his 2013 speech: “I know his core beliefs, I know what they were, because we were close and politically active together … I think he has the potential to be a good prime minister.” | Bullock, who worked with former prime minister Tony Abbott more than 30 years ago to take over the Sydney University Liberal club also said of Abbott in his 2013 speech: “I know his core beliefs, I know what they were, because we were close and politically active together … I think he has the potential to be a good prime minister.” |
| In his resignation speech late Tuesday night he was scathing of Abbott’s successor Malcolm Turnbull, who he also encountered at university. | In his resignation speech late Tuesday night he was scathing of Abbott’s successor Malcolm Turnbull, who he also encountered at university. |
| “As a very young man he was committed to burnishing his CV rather than fighting for principle. He presented as the very personification of ambition. I took a deep and instant dislike to him,” Bullock said. | “As a very young man he was committed to burnishing his CV rather than fighting for principle. He presented as the very personification of ambition. I took a deep and instant dislike to him,” Bullock said. |
| “Nothing has occurred during the intervening years to persuade me to change my view. | “Nothing has occurred during the intervening years to persuade me to change my view. |
| “As I see it, Mr Turnbull’s life has constituted a single-minded pursuit of wealth and personal advancement, even to Australia’s highest office. | “As I see it, Mr Turnbull’s life has constituted a single-minded pursuit of wealth and personal advancement, even to Australia’s highest office. |
| Related: WA Senate: union that endorsed Joe Bullock calls on him to resign | Related: WA Senate: union that endorsed Joe Bullock calls on him to resign |
| “Here is a man who forty years ago publicly announced his intention to be prime minister and when asked, “For which party?” replied, “It doesn’t matter”,” he said. | “Here is a man who forty years ago publicly announced his intention to be prime minister and when asked, “For which party?” replied, “It doesn’t matter”,” he said. |
| The Labor leader, Bill Shorten, thanked Bullock for his years of service to the Labor party. | The Labor leader, Bill Shorten, thanked Bullock for his years of service to the Labor party. |
| “I don’t agree with his views on a number of issues – including marriage equality – but I respect his right to hold those opinions,” Shorten said, | “I don’t agree with his views on a number of issues – including marriage equality – but I respect his right to hold those opinions,” Shorten said, |
| “I respect the decision he’s made to step down tonight, knowing it’s come after a long period of consideration.” | “I respect the decision he’s made to step down tonight, knowing it’s come after a long period of consideration.” |