Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General. What is the government doing to remove same-sex discrimination from Commonwealth laws, and what contributions have been made to this debate?

Robert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Melbourne Ports for his question. Yesterday, this House passed the second stage of the Rudd government’s reforms to remove same-sex discrimination from Commonwealth laws. In fact, the laws that were passed by this House yesterday remove discrimination from some 68 laws, with knock-on effects to others. They include the areas of social security, taxation, Medicare and educational assistance.

The debate took place over some three days, and there were some outstanding contributions from members from both sides. I congratulate those who participated. I expressed disappointment yesterday, however, that one member was absent from the debate, and that was the member for Wentworth. Members will recall that before the last election, the member for Wentworth circulated a newsletter—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Robert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members in the House will recall that before the last election, the member for Wentworth circulated a newsletter to his electorate in which he supported the need for reform. Indeed, that newsletter referred to statements such as ‘Turnbull takes on mission for gay and lesbian rights’ and ‘Malcolm Turnbull has embarked on a personal crusade to convince his’—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I draw your attention to standing order 100(c). I would say that the minister is reflecting on the character of the Leader of the Opposition, and therefore is in breach of the standing orders. It can only be done by way of substantive order, and I would ask that the question be ruled out of order.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will listen very carefully to the minister’s answer. The matters that the member has raised are to do with the question, not the standing order relevant to the answer. But I will listen carefully to the Attorney-General’s response.

Robert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The statement contained in the newsletter was that, ‘Malcolm Turnbull has embarked on a personal crusade to convince his cabinet colleagues.’ The article also quoted the honourable member, ‘I pledge to continue the fight until justice is done.’

I personally accept that the honourable member is entirely genuine and sincere in expressing those views—that is accepted. But clearly, now that he is in the position of Leader of the Opposition, he has the ability to exert a little more than a degree of influence on his colleagues. It was sincerely disappointing that the honourable member did not counter some of those more extreme sentiments that were expressed during the course of the debate yesterday. Indeed, I note that a spokesman for the honourable member told the Age newspaper—or, at least, it is reported in the Age newspaper—that the honourable member had spoken on the first reading of the bill. I think the record will show otherwise.

But, at the end of the day, these reforms are long overdue. They do nothing more and nothing less than remove discrimination against a group of fellow Australians who have been discriminated against for far too long. They do not undermine in any way, shape or form the institution of marriage. That is made quite clear in legislation that has been supported in this House—that marriage is between a man and a woman. As I say, these reforms do nothing more than remove unjustified discrimination that has occurred for too long. I genuinely believe that the Leader of the Opposition is sincere in his views on this matter, and we look forward to him using his new position to secure passage of the legislation.