Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a pleasure to follow the other Julian—always thoughtful and reasoned, even when I don't agree with him, but I often do. I will also record some words, although, in my view, this debate has dragged on for far too long. Like so many people in my electorate, I'm frustrated because there are so many other enormously important issues facing the nation that we could and should be spending time on. Indeed, we could have come here last week and turned up to work and cleared some out of the Notice Paper. But here we are still, and finally now we can finish this.

I know that this means so much to many Australians, straight and gay. I know that many of my colleagues also feel strongly about this, as do my friends. This issue should have been addressed, debated and resolved by this parliament years ago, without an unnecessary, divisive, wasteful, expensive, time-consuming and legally ineffectual optional postal survey—or quiz, as it would be more accurately styled. When the government failed to get their legislation through for the plebiscite, we should have simply had a free vote—radical, I know! Do the job we are elected to do.

I know from private conversations that many of those opposite agree with that. But the Prime Minister is too weak, too bruised, too hostage to the Taliban faction in his own party room for something that sensible to have happened, or for him to have done what he actually believed was right. So, in their inimitable way, they came up with the worst possible outcome or solution to the Prime Minister's spinelessness: an optional, Dolly-Doctor style, 'answer and tell us only if you want to' quiz—

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