Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I've had the privilege of serving the people of Fisher and, more broadly, the Australian people for only 18 months. It has been the greatest privilege of my life, but with every privilege comes responsibility, and it is now my responsibility as the member for Fisher to speak on this marriage equality bill and to vote in accordance with my conscience. I would like to thank the Prime Minister for affording me that opportunity.

I think it's fair to surmise that few bills will generate as much controversy and consternation amongst the Australian people as the one which is the subject of this debate. As a barrister I acted as counsel assisting the coroner in respect of number of road deaths on the Sunshine Coast. The coroner, Maxine Baldwin, would often remark that in her role she needed the patience of Job and the wisdom of Solomon. I find myself wishing today, as I often do, that I too had Solomon's wisdom as I prosecute my responsibilities as a parliamentarian.

I closed my maiden speech in this place with a prayer written by Reinhold Niebuhr—a prayer I should like to open this speech with today:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

The issue of same-sex marriage is a deeply personal one for many Australians and for many more Australian families. Many of us have a story to tell about same-sex marriage, and these stories illustrate and illuminate the complexity of the legislative challenge before us. Like many colleagues, in contributing to this debate I'd like to tell the House about my own experience and the experience of my family which has brought me to my position today. This issue has perplexed me for a number of years. I am a practising, committed Catholic. I do my best to go to church every Sunday. In fact, in my late teens I joined a monastery, willing to give my life to God through the service to others. The teachings of the Catholic Church on the issue of marriage are very clear. The church teaches that marriage is between a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others for life. There is no ambiguity in that stance. It is a stance which I shared for most of my adult life.

My daughter, Caroline, struggled through much of her teenage years with mental illness. She suffered from an insidious disease, an eating disorder, most notably anorexia and bulimia. My family and I watched our beautiful daughter and sister fight her demons as she slowly became nothing more than skin and bone. In and out of hospital for long stretches at a time, over a number of years she would wax and wane between sheer determination to regain her health, and utter desperation, sinking into the abyss of feeling that there was no hope of an end to this internal conflict.

As a dad, I am very pleased and proud to say that my daughter is now in a much healthier and happier place. She has a terrific job and a wonderful partner who our family love very much. 'What does this story have to do with same-sex marriage?' you may ask. About three years ago, our daughter told my wife that she was attracted to—

Debate interrupted.

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