Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

If I could just make a couple of observations following the contribution from the member for Melbourne: look, it's true that we've just had a plebiscite campaign, and it's true that some of us in this House argued strongly for the 'no' case, but all of us in this House are respecters of the democratic process, and I think it would be wrong to say that there are very many people left in this House who are opponents of same-sex marriage. What there are left in this House—more, I suspect, than the member for Melbourne might think—are people who believe in freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and parental choice. These amendments are not designed to frustrate this bill. They are not designed to delay this bill. They are designed to improve this bill and to make this bill a unifying occasion—as unifying as it can be under all the circumstances.

Almost eight million Australians voted yes; almost five million Australians voted no. All Australians, whichever way they voted, deserve to have their views respected and, as far as is possible, accommodated in the legislation. I suspect that many of the eight million who voted yes did not want to exclude traditional marriage; they simply wanted to embrace same-sex marriage too. And that's the beauty of the amendment proposed by the member for Deakin: it respects traditional marriage while allowing same-sex marriage to take place. In addition, it is extending to new celebrants the freedom of conscience that is given in the bill to existing celebrants. If it's right for existing celebrants to have this freedom of conscience, surely it's right for new celebrants to have this freedom of conscience as well.

We all want this bill to proceed expeditiously through the House. We all want Australians to feel proud of the parliament this day, but I think we will feel prouder of the parliament this day if the parliament is capable of considering these amendments on their merits rather that coming into this chamber with a preconceived view.

I was delighted in the course of the campaign when both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition pledged that, before same-sex marriage becomes law, there will be adequate freedoms of conscience, religion and expression in place. That is simply what these amendments seek to do—to make the words of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition a reality. I commend the amendment to the House.

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