Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I said this on radio last week when I was interviewed by Fran Kelly: if we'd had the vote in February and if the Australian people had supported the plebiscite, gay couples would be on their honeymoons right now. If we'd had the vote in February, and if the majority of Australian people had supported it, gay couples would be on their honeymoons and we wouldn't be having this discussion in the chamber today.

The Leader of the Opposition and those opposite like to claim this is too divisive, as if Australians are not capable of having a debate on a sensitive social issue. He's got to get fair dinkum on this issue. If the issue has the support of the leader of the Labor Party—he claims he does support it—and it has the support of the leader of the Liberal Party, it has the support of the leader of the Greens—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

That is a very good point, Member for Sydney. It has all that support and the support of some National Party ministers, and those opposite are telling me we can't win the debate. These people have the largest megaphones in the country. These people have had more opportunities to prosecute their case in support of same-sex marriage than anyone else. Let's get fair dinkum about it. The leader of the Labor Party, the leader of the Liberal Party, the leader of the Greens and some National Party ministers support it, and yet we're led to believe by the Labor Party that we're not capable of having this argument in the public eye in a respectful manner. I call on those opposite to put away the hyperbole and focus on the merits of the issue.

This plebiscite is about keeping a promise. In the last election, the members on this side of the House and our candidates throughout Australia campaigned on giving the Australian people a chance to have their say on this issue. The Leader of the Opposition doesn't get to decide which promises we can and cannot keep. When politicians across Australia are faced with an ongoing deficit of trust with the Australian people, the best thing we can do is to keep our promises. We promised the Australian people they would have their say on this issue. We promised the Australian people they would have the chance to have a vote. The only people who are stopping the Australian people having a say on this issue are those opposite. Those opposite do not trust the Australian people to have their say.

Ms Husar interjecting—

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