Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister is stubbornly refusing to listen to the Australian people on this important issue of equality and ending discrimination. As a result, it is our friends and neighbours, our brothers and sisters, our colleagues at work—even the Prime Minister's own sister—who are suffering. Around Australia, there are loving couples who want to show their commitment to each other in front of their family, their friends and the law and to take part in our society's rituals and celebrations, but they are being denied that right because of who they love. Last week the Prime Minister had the chance to change that. Instead, we saw a six-hour meeting that achieved nothing other than dividing his own party room. What a show of leadership!

The opinion poll that came out today reinforced what we know: that over two-thirds of Australians recognise that a couple should be given the opportunity to marry, to declare their love for each other, regardless of their gender or sexuality. The Prime Minister is out of touch with this majority, and he is trying every trick in the book to delay the inevitable change. We will see marriage equality in Australia, and we will see it sooner rather than later. On marriage equality we are lagging behind our peers in the world who have recognised it: the UK, New Zealand, Ireland and, most recently, the United States. However, we have the Prime Minister wanting to drag us further behind the rest of the world. And every day that we delay, Australian couples are waiting for this discrimination to end. We have to act now.

In terms of leadership, we have so many options up in the air at the moment, from a referendum to plebiscites—after the election, at the election, before the election. Who knows the meaning of these plebiscites. A referendum is a ridiculous idea. A referendum would require a majority of states, a majority of people—

Senator O'Sullivan interjecting—

To change the Constitution when the Constitution—

Senator O'Sullivan interjecting—