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| Australian gays 'will never be able to wed under Abbott' | Australian gays 'will never be able to wed under Abbott' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Gay Australians will never be allowed to marry under a Conservative government, says the Labor opposition. | Gay Australians will never be allowed to marry under a Conservative government, says the Labor opposition. |
| Labor said PM Tony Abbott's offer of a same-sex marriage plebiscite next year was nothing but a "delaying tactic". | Labor said PM Tony Abbott's offer of a same-sex marriage plebiscite next year was nothing but a "delaying tactic". |
| The attack comes as Mr Abbott faces criticism within his own ranks about how he has handled the issue. | The attack comes as Mr Abbott faces criticism within his own ranks about how he has handled the issue. |
| On Tuesday, he blocked a free vote for government MPs on any same-sex marriage bills but said the issue should be "put to the people" after the next election. | On Tuesday, he blocked a free vote for government MPs on any same-sex marriage bills but said the issue should be "put to the people" after the next election. |
| Read more: 'Crocodile Dundee' MP leads Australia gay marriage push | |
| Labor leader Bill Shorten called on all Coalition MPs in favour of same-sex marriage to keep lobbying the prime minister. | Labor leader Bill Shorten called on all Coalition MPs in favour of same-sex marriage to keep lobbying the prime minister. |
| "The choice in this country is you either have Mr Abbott or you have marriage equality but you can't have both," he told reporters on Wednesday. | "The choice in this country is you either have Mr Abbott or you have marriage equality but you can't have both," he told reporters on Wednesday. |
| Mr Shorten has pledged to introduce same-sex marriage legislation within the first 100 days if Labor wins the next election, due in 2016. | Mr Shorten has pledged to introduce same-sex marriage legislation within the first 100 days if Labor wins the next election, due in 2016. |
| Mr Abbott, who personally opposes same-sex marriage, on Wednesday said under Liberal Party policy, any government frontbenchers who defied the agreed position to oppose gay marriage would be sacked. | Mr Abbott, who personally opposes same-sex marriage, on Wednesday said under Liberal Party policy, any government frontbenchers who defied the agreed position to oppose gay marriage would be sacked. |
| Backbench coalition MP Warren Entsch plans to introduce a cross-party bill next week to legalise same-sex marriage. | |
| Mr Entsch, who has campaigned publicly for marriage equality, told local media he believed some of his colleagues would cross the floor to vote in favour of his bill. | Mr Entsch, who has campaigned publicly for marriage equality, told local media he believed some of his colleagues would cross the floor to vote in favour of his bill. |
| "Absolutely I will be crossing the floor," he said, "but even with some support I don't think the support is there to see it succeed". | "Absolutely I will be crossing the floor," he said, "but even with some support I don't think the support is there to see it succeed". |
| Analysis: Jon Donnison, BBC News, Sydney | Analysis: Jon Donnison, BBC News, Sydney |
| The gay marriage issue in Australia is an interesting one, not least because Tony Abbott, and indeed politicians in general, are out of touch with public opinion. | The gay marriage issue in Australia is an interesting one, not least because Tony Abbott, and indeed politicians in general, are out of touch with public opinion. |
| Polls show the majority of Australians support same-sex marriage. And that's why it's a potentially dangerous issue for Mr Abbott who admits to feeling "a bit threatened" by homosexuality - even though his own sister Christine is a lesbian. | Polls show the majority of Australians support same-sex marriage. And that's why it's a potentially dangerous issue for Mr Abbott who admits to feeling "a bit threatened" by homosexuality - even though his own sister Christine is a lesbian. |
| And it's not just the public Tony Abbott is out of sync with. | And it's not just the public Tony Abbott is out of sync with. |
| Some MPs within his own Liberal Party are in favour of legalising gay marriage. | Some MPs within his own Liberal Party are in favour of legalising gay marriage. |
| So if the prime minister continues to deny his parliamentary colleagues a free conscience vote on the issue, he risks alienating some within his own party. | So if the prime minister continues to deny his parliamentary colleagues a free conscience vote on the issue, he risks alienating some within his own party. |
| Is Abbott being refreshingly honest or out of touch? | Is Abbott being refreshingly honest or out of touch? |
| Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who supports same-sex marriage and a free vote on it by government MPs, said the issue would distract from debate about the economy and jobs ahead of next year's election. | Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who supports same-sex marriage and a free vote on it by government MPs, said the issue would distract from debate about the economy and jobs ahead of next year's election. |
| "The attraction of a free vote would have been that the matter would have been settled one way or another in this parliament," Mr Turnbull told reporters on Wednesday. | "The attraction of a free vote would have been that the matter would have been settled one way or another in this parliament," Mr Turnbull told reporters on Wednesday. |
| Next election | Next election |
| He said Mr Abbott's offer to hold a plebiscite meant same-sex marriage was now "a live issue all the way up to the next election". | He said Mr Abbott's offer to hold a plebiscite meant same-sex marriage was now "a live issue all the way up to the next election". |
| Mr Abbott's sister Christine Forster, a Liberal local councillor in Sydney, agreed with this assessment. | Mr Abbott's sister Christine Forster, a Liberal local councillor in Sydney, agreed with this assessment. |
| Ms Forster, who is a lesbian and has publically supported same-sex marriage, told the BBC that she found her brother's decision "personally very disappointing" and hoped that the party would review its position soon. | Ms Forster, who is a lesbian and has publically supported same-sex marriage, told the BBC that she found her brother's decision "personally very disappointing" and hoped that the party would review its position soon. |
| But she added: "We both respect each other's views... and that reflects Australian society as a whole, there are a range of views on this issue." | But she added: "We both respect each other's views... and that reflects Australian society as a whole, there are a range of views on this issue." |
| The Labor Party has also faced internal debate about the matter. | The Labor Party has also faced internal debate about the matter. |
| At a party conference in July, Mr Shorten convinced his colleagues not to adopt a binding vote on same-sex marriage. | At a party conference in July, Mr Shorten convinced his colleagues not to adopt a binding vote on same-sex marriage. |
| Labor deputy Tanya Plibersek had unsuccessfully lobbied her colleagues to amend the Labor platform so that MPs would be forced to vote in favour of same-sex marriage in parliament. | Labor deputy Tanya Plibersek had unsuccessfully lobbied her colleagues to amend the Labor platform so that MPs would be forced to vote in favour of same-sex marriage in parliament. |