Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Since the government special party room meeting yesterday, has the Prime Minister sought a meeting with the LGBTI community to seek their views on the decision taken yesterday? Will the Prime Minister undertake to meet with representatives of the LGBTI community to hear their concerns before he resubmits his plebiscite legislation to the Senate, or does he think their opinion unimportant?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My government is committed to getting all Australians' views. My government is committed to giving every Australian a say. My government is committed to standing by the commitment it made at the election, to give every Australian a say. And the only reason that every Australian has not had their say on this issue is because of the opposition of the Labor Party in the Senate. That's the truth. That's the fact.

Throughout the election campaign, when we said again and again, 'We will give every Australian a say on this', when we said, 'We will not facilitate a private member's bill on same-sex marriage in the House until all Australians have had their say, and indicated their support'—when we made that commitment, what did the Labor Party say? They slipped and slid. The only public statement the Leader of the Opposition had made was to the Australian Christian Lobby in 2013, when he said he would support a plebiscite so that every Australian had a say. As usual, he was telling people what they wanted to hear—as he always does.

And then, after the election, he opposed the plebiscite. He will have an opportunity to vote for it, to have his senators vote for it, this week. And if they do not support it, then we will hold a postal vote and every Australian will have their say on this issue. If the answer is yes, we'll facilitate a private member's bill. If it's no, we will not. We are standing by our commitment. The Leader of the Opposition says one thing one day and another thing the next. He tells every audience what it wants to hear. There is no consistency, no integrity, no respect for the Australian people.

Honourable members interjecting —

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on both sides will cease interjecting. The member for Bruce made an unparliamentary remark and he will withdraw.

Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And he will now withdraw from the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Bruce then left the chamber.