Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to enter into this debate on this urgency motion on marriage equality. I preface my remarks by observing some of the dynamics behind the decision of the Australian Greens to bring forward this urgency motion today. Whatever the high-minded principles that might underpin the sentiments in this urgency motion, I think it is appropriate for the Senate to acknowledge that this motion also has some tactical advantage for the Australian Greens. The Greens will not be unaware of the fact that, at the present time, the Australian Labor Party has moved its policy into a state of some flux, as Senator Carol Brown's speech just indicated. As we know, Senator Bob Brown does not like to be outflanked in such matters and, I think, wants to put his stamp on this issue as one which, he feels, is very much his territory. That is fair enough. He is entitled to take some ownership of this issue if he wants it, but I think it is important for the Australian parliament, including the Senate, to resolve conflict and debate about these issues soberly and in light of all the arguments, not on the basis of what is in the short-term interests of either the Australian Greens or the Australian Labor Party.

I also note with interest the reliance in this urgency motion, in this move towards what the proponent of the motion calls 'marriage equality', on the argument that there is an increasing majority of the Australian community which supports this concept. It is something of a testament to the opportunism which so often characterises what the Greens do that they are very happy to rely on opinion polls when those polls tend to support what they want to do, and are equally happy to ignore opinion polls when those polls repudiate the Greens' position.