Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition must be relieved that the promise he gave to the Australian Christian Lobby in 2013 is now being delivered by the coalition. He went there to the Australian Christian Lobby and he said, 'I think every Australian should have their say.' He did. I assume that was his heartfelt conviction, or was he simply telling people what they wanted to hear? You know, Mr Speaker, I fear it may have been the case that he was just being his old disingenuous self, telling people what they want to hear. And here he is now—having done everything he could in this parliament to stop Australians having their say, much to his disappointment now every Australian will have their say. And that is as it should be, and we encourage every Australian to vote in this survey, to have their say. As I've said in this House and in many other places, Lucy and I will be voting yes, and I will be encouraging others to vote yes, but, above all, I encourage every Australian to have their say, because, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, I respect every Australian's view on this matter, and I thoroughly reject the way in which he has sought to vilify and demonise people who have a different view to him. This is a great example where every Australian can have a say and we can, as the Commonwealth of Australia, embrace this important social change, consider it and make a decision.

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