Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There's a lot of consternation in my community at the moment because, even though the vote for same-sex marriage in my electorate was 61 per cent and about 40 per cent voted no, I, their federal member, will be voting no in this debate. I represent all the people in my electorate. There's a lot of fear going on in my electorate and across Australia about our changing community. Whether it be concerns about this latest change, with same-sex marriage, whether it be the scourge of ice that is raging around regional communities—and I know in the cities as well, for you who represent the cities—whether it is the allergies we are seeing come out in this generation of children that we've never seen before, whether it is breast cancer, which seems to be touching every family, there is a part of my community that says: 'What is happening? This is not what we're used to and not what we're a part of.'

I have got to tell you that, in my role, I have agreed with people in regard to same-sex marriage, and my agreement with them is more important than the job that I actually do—my agreement with those people that said, 'This is the way I will vote; this is the way I'll support you.' So, for those who have huge concern about the fact that I am voting one way, I put to you that this is the way I will be voting.