Same-sex marriage debate must be this year, Australian Liberal party figures say
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Version 0 of 1. Liberal parliamentarians pushing for a free vote on same-sex marriage have called for the issue to be debated before the end of this year. Supporters are seeking to build fresh momentum for action in Australia after Ireland became the latest country to grant same-sex couples the right to marry in a referendum on Friday. The assistant education minister, Simon Birmingham, a long-time advocate of a conscience vote, told ABC Radio National Breakfast he had been heartened by the number of colleagues who had indicated a change in position over the past five years. “A number of others are privately indicating to me that they support a conscience vote, that they’re open to seeing change to the legislation around marriage and I think that’s really positive,” he said. Birmingham said parliament should debate the issue again before the end of 2015 – about three years after both houses rejected similar bills. He said: “I don’t think it should be done probably in an election year. So I think at some point this year when it’s appropriate. The government has a lot on its plate at present delivering a budget focused on small business, delivering national security reforms [but] of course we can always walk and chew gum. I’m sure that at the right time when there’s a window during the course of this year it will be raised, it will be debated and I hope we will see the right and positive outcome.” North Queensland-based Liberal MP Warren Entsch, a former party whip, also called for the issue to be decided by parliament in the second half of 2015. Entsch said it was hard to know whether a fresh bill would pass parliament, but it was time to put it to the test. Ireland passed same-sex marriage in a nationwide referendum on Friday, but in Australia the federal parliament would have the power to make the change without a public vote. Referendums in Australia are reserved for changes to the constitution. Tony Abbott continues to oppose same-sex marriage, but has left the door open to allowing a conscience vote. On Sunday Abbott said it was “a very serious issue” and decent people could disagree on the issue. Abbott’s sister, Christine Forster, called for a free vote. Abbott said: “There are a range of views inside the parliament. There are a range of views inside my partyroom. Frankly, there’s a range of views inside my family – inside the Abbott family – [and] I am probably the last hold-out for the traditional position. So, look, it is a serious issue. “I don’t know if and when it’s going to come before our parliament again. It came before our parliament in the last term and was dealt with fairly decisively. If it comes before our parliament again, our party room will deal with it, our party room will decide whether our existing policy continues or not and then we will have a good debate.” |