Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017.

In my electorate, the people of Kooyong have spoken loudly in favour of same-sex marriage: 63,592 people, or 73.7 per cent of responses, voted yes, well above the national average of 61.6 per cent and the Victorian average of 64.9 per cent. Kooyong had the fifth highest 'yes' vote in the state and the equal highest participation rate, with Goldstein, at 86 per cent. Despite the doubters, the postal plebiscite has been a huge success and given added legitimacy to this important social reform for our country. Everyone has had the opportunity, as I have had, to have their say and to do so in a respectful, democratic way. It is now the job of the parliament to act on the will of the people.

At a personal level, I am very pleased, as no doubt many in our community are, about the result, as I have undergone a journey on this issue. Initially, I was hesitant about the need for change, but, after meeting and hearing from so many constituents about their own personal experiences and relationships, I have recognised that there is a need to move forward. I met with parents and grandparents of gay children, siblings with gay brothers and sisters, and gay couples who were deeply in love, not to mention the many people who were in heterosexual relationships who came to speak to me on behalf of their gay friends. It has been an issue that has cut across all demographics, irrespective of age, religion and race.

I remember the passion and the purpose of a delegation of Kew High School students who, with more than 200 of their classmates, had signed a petition supporting change—not to mention the strength of Father Chris Middleton, rector of Xavier College in my electorate, one of the most prestigious Catholic schools in the country, who said:

In my experience, there is almost total unanimity amongst the young in favour of same-sex marriage, and arguments against it have almost no impact on them.

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They are driven by a strong emotional commitment to equality, and this is surely something to respect and admire … They are idealistic in the value they ascribe to love, the primary gospel value.

Just today I met with Jacqui Tomlins and her partner, Sarah, who together with their beautiful children, Corin, Scout and Cully, are here in the chamber. They took the extraordinary step of getting married in Canada and have raised their children in my electorate. I've had an ongoing discussion with Jacqui and Sarah since first meeting them soon after I was elected back in 2011. After being together for 25 years, they are so excited about this prospect of soon being legally married in Australia. What Jacqui and Sarah exemplify, like so many others like them, is a lifelong, loving commitment to each other, and there is no reason why this should not be recognised as a marriage under our law. Their marriage in no way diminishes mine. In fact, it strengthens the community as a whole and the institution of marriage.

Sir Robert Menzies, a former member for Kooyong, who no doubt lived in a different time, where views may have been different on this particular issue, said:

I do not believe that the real life of this nation is to be found either in great luxury hotels and the petty gossip of so-called fashionable suburbs … It is to be found in the homes of people who are nameless and unadvertised, and who, whatever their individual religious conviction or dogma, see in their children their greatest contribution to the immortality of their race. The home is the foundation of sanity and sobriety; it is the indispensable condition of continuity; its health determines the health of society as a whole.

This is what Jacqui and Sarah and so many like them represent: the health of our community by the strength of their family and the love in their home. What I have felt as a parent—and no doubt what every parent wants for their children—is simply for them to have a life of love and happiness. To have this is a blessing, and we should wish this for everyone.

I do also accept that while nearly eight million Australians voted yes, nearly five million Australians voted no. They did so for a variety of reasons, including matters of faith. We need to be at all times respectful of these views and the strength with which they are held. I do believe in the need for some protections in the bill and will be considering these on their merits, particularly around parental rights. And it is disappointing that those members opposite have not provided all their members with a free vote in both the House and the Senate.

We have come far in our community over a number of years in removing discriminatory provisions, whether they relate to medical benefits, tax, employment or superannuation. And soon, in this place, we will be removing the discrimination against same-sex couples in relation to marriage. My message to those who seek to formalise their union in marriage: we respect you; you belong to the community; we do love you. And now this is a time to rejoice in the fact that the Australian people have spoken so loudly. This has been Australian democracy at its best, and now our community will be much stronger for the future. Thank you.

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