Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Respectfully actually, I do. Nobody else has spoken about it. For seven years I have been engaged, and, tragically, it has mostly been during the entire time of the previous government, as well as the current government. To the member for Sydney: I am sorry, I want to get this issue resolved.

It's frustrating to watch the moral posturing on the issue by many on the other side who have constantly delayed, stalled, blocked and opposed change before changing their opinion in favour—now with zeal. Respectfully, some of us have always had a consistent position, and taking a lecture about the failure to pass a change in the law from the opposition is a bit rich.

They had the potential for so many years to deliver this. It was immensely frustrating to watch that they didn't. Firstly, we had Kevin Rudd who opposed it on religious grounds. Then we had Julia Gillard, who opposed it on feminist grounds. And then we had Kevin Rudd, who would vote for it and did not act. I do not think it is in dispute that I have a slight difference of opinion from some people—sometimes on my side of politics—on this issue. But since the coalition has been in government, there have been no surprises.

In the last term, the government was elected on the basis of opposing change, a position I personally do not agree with, and then took a position to the last election in favour of a plebiscite and a free vote. We could have had this issue dealt with and resolved by the beginning of this year but the opposition opposed a change, through blocking a plebiscite. It may not have been my first preference, but we have to concede it would have been done. You would concede that as well, because we would hope—to the opposition—that, as you announced today, you are going to support a change in the law and advocate for it.

My views about the plebiscite are based on a strong belief in institutions and maintaining trust in them. A number of people I speak to talk about the importance of trust in public life. I hold very strongly to that. But I think the trust in our institutions is also of tantamount importance. Frankly, I care less about the trust of one government or another or a politician or another, because we are temporary—whereas the parliament is timeless. We are a parliament founded under the Constitution by the people. The Constitution says it is the role of the federal parliament to make laws related to marriage. That was unanimously confirmed in a 2013 High Court decision. Parliamentarians are also within their rights to consult their community to inform their judgements. But I am also an Edmund Burke fan. I owe the people of Goldstein my judgement in the situation. Everyone knows that if there were a bill before the parliament I would vote for it. But we don't have one. We are where we are.

A number of people have suggested that colleagues, including the members for North Sydney, Leichardt, Brisbane and I just need to cross the floor to stop this process. I'm sorry, that's false. If a bill passed this chamber right now, it would still need to be passed by the Senate, and the ugly truth, despite the moral posturing of our opponents, is that it won't do so, because Labor will not deliver the numbers that are needed. They say they can but they can't. A series of Labor MPs are using their conscience vote to vote against a bill. So passing a bill through the House is pointless. The task before us is to win. For the past two years, opponents stopped arguing against our freedom to marry. They have been arguing process. From their messaging so far, they have been using statements like 'freedom of speech, religious freedom and political correctness,' and the opposition has raised this. My personal view is those arguments are laughable.

The choice is not whether we engage or not. The choice is whether we allow these statements to go unresponded to. The choice is whether we stand up to those who want to keep us down. The choice is only to win. For those in the community who support the change in the law as I do, I say this: This is a moment in our nation's history. It is the moment to change the country for the type of country we want to be, to make it better. We cannot shirk our responsibility or a fight. Minorities never get to set the terms of the battlegrounds they fight for their rights. The battlefield is always set by others. They have won not because their terms have been in their favour, but their arguments, history and justice have been on their side.

In this debate, we have always had to convince the majority of Australians to change the law even though they have never lived our shared experience. And we have, despite exceptional odds. Now is not the time to cower; it is not the time to hide. It is the time to stand up, to stand up for yourself, your loved ones and the type of nation that we want to be.

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