Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why should gay and lesbian Australians have to have their right to love expressed through marriage subject to a divisive and vitriolic campaign and national vote? Clearly the majority of Australians want the parliament to, and believe that the parliament should, deliver marriage equality in Australia. They simply want us to do our jobs as local community representatives and as legislators, as indeed we are expected to do because section 51 of our Constitution clearly grants the Commonwealth the power to make laws with respect to marriage.

This is the view of the majority of the Australian people, this is the view of many state parliaments and this is the view of many local councils and local governments. Interestingly, this includes Waverley Council, which is a Liberal controlled council, smack bang in the heart of the Prime Minister's seat of Wentworth. On 21 July 2015 this council passed a motion supporting marriage equality and said it was 'prioritising a debate to change the Marriage Act and allow a conscience vote on marriage equality', clearly implying that the view of that community is that this parliament should debate and vote on this. This is the view of a Liberal council in the Prime Minister's own electorate. Not even Liberal councillors in his own electorate support his view of a plebiscite. He should show some leadership and listen to the Australian people on this issue.