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| Marriage equality: Liberal senator drafts private member's bill in defiance of party | Marriage equality: Liberal senator drafts private member's bill in defiance of party |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A federal Liberal senator has drafted his own bill to legalise same-sex marriage and wants to bring it to parliament by the end of the year, in defiance of his party’s policy. | A federal Liberal senator has drafted his own bill to legalise same-sex marriage and wants to bring it to parliament by the end of the year, in defiance of his party’s policy. |
| The West Australian senator Dean Smith told Perth’s Sunday Times he had been drafting the private member’s bill in secret and was now ready to take it to the Liberal party room, with the aim of a conscience vote in parliament. | The West Australian senator Dean Smith told Perth’s Sunday Times he had been drafting the private member’s bill in secret and was now ready to take it to the Liberal party room, with the aim of a conscience vote in parliament. |
| Smith’s bill would contradict the official party position laid down by Malcolm Turnbull, which requires a non-binding plebiscite be conducted on the issue before legislation can be introduced. | Smith’s bill would contradict the official party position laid down by Malcolm Turnbull, which requires a non-binding plebiscite be conducted on the issue before legislation can be introduced. |
| However, Smith said a swift parliamentary vote was the “sensible way forward”, and that “the time is now”. | However, Smith said a swift parliamentary vote was the “sensible way forward”, and that “the time is now”. |
| “My sense is that people are embarrassed that Australia has not resolved this issue … Many do support the matter being put before the parliament and finally resolved.” | “My sense is that people are embarrassed that Australia has not resolved this issue … Many do support the matter being put before the parliament and finally resolved.” |
| Smith’s bill threatens to rekindle a factional battle within the party that Turnbull has spend the past few weeks putting out, after the defence industry minister, Christopher Pyne, was caught on tape saying marriage equality would come “sooner than everyone thinks”. | Smith’s bill threatens to rekindle a factional battle within the party that Turnbull has spend the past few weeks putting out, after the defence industry minister, Christopher Pyne, was caught on tape saying marriage equality would come “sooner than everyone thinks”. |
| Last month the prime minister explicitly ruled out the introduction of a bill after a backlash from conservatives. He said the official party policy was that no bill or vote could be taken “until there has been a vote of the Australian people”. | Last month the prime minister explicitly ruled out the introduction of a bill after a backlash from conservatives. He said the official party policy was that no bill or vote could be taken “until there has been a vote of the Australian people”. |
| On Tuesday, Nationals senator John Williams reminded the Liberal party that a guaranteed plebiscite was a part of the Coalition agreement between the two parties. | On Tuesday, Nationals senator John Williams reminded the Liberal party that a guaranteed plebiscite was a part of the Coalition agreement between the two parties. |
| Smith, who is the government’s deputy whip in the upper house, said the bill would include religious exemptions for celebrants who had an objection to marrying members of the same sex. | Smith, who is the government’s deputy whip in the upper house, said the bill would include religious exemptions for celebrants who had an objection to marrying members of the same sex. |
| “I believe – and I am confident many other Australians share my view – that people’s religious views about marriage deserve to be protected at the same time as we provide for same-sex marriage,” he said. | “I believe – and I am confident many other Australians share my view – that people’s religious views about marriage deserve to be protected at the same time as we provide for same-sex marriage,” he said. |
| He said the exemptions followed the recommendations of a cross-party Senate committee in February, which he sat on along with Labor’s Louise Pratt and the Greens’ Janet Rice. | He said the exemptions followed the recommendations of a cross-party Senate committee in February, which he sat on along with Labor’s Louise Pratt and the Greens’ Janet Rice. |
| A poll from February found that a free vote on marriage equality would boost the government’s popularity. | A poll from February found that a free vote on marriage equality would boost the government’s popularity. |
| Seventy-one per cent of those polled said they would support a move to replace the plebiscite with a parliamentary conscience vote, including 64% of Liberal supporters. | Seventy-one per cent of those polled said they would support a move to replace the plebiscite with a parliamentary conscience vote, including 64% of Liberal supporters. |
| Smith said he wanted the issue resolved “once and for all” before the next election. | Smith said he wanted the issue resolved “once and for all” before the next election. |
| “This is not an academic or theoretical issue,” he said. “This goes to the heart of how some Australians could be free to live their lives according to their own choices.” | |
| Alex Greenwich, an independent New South Wales state MP and the co-chair of Australian Marriage Equality, welcomed the move. | |
| “Senator Dean Smith’s progress towards legislation shows the political will to deliver marriage equality in this parliament continues to grow”, he said. | |
| Tiernan Brady, the campaign’s executive director, added that the legislation was “a straightforward reform”. | |
| “Our message is clear to all federal MP’s – it’s time to do your job and introduce marriage equality in line with the clear wishes and values of the Australian people and we won’t give up until they do.” |