Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Payments) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise to speak on the matter of public importance:

The Prime Minister's failure of leadership on marriage equality.

We have already heard in Senator Fawcett's contribution on this matter how difficult it was for him to support his Prime Minister on this matter, because he talked about a lot of things, but I did not hear marriage equality being one of the things that the Prime Minister has led on. We only have to look at Mr Abbott's own words to see that this motion is supported on the fact that there has been no leadership from the Prime Minister on marriage equality.

After last week's marathon six-hour joint party room meeting on marriage equality, the Prime Minister stood before the press and announced:

As a result of the discussion in the party room …

I've come to the view - I believe this is the party room view - that this is the last term in which the Coalition party room can be bound, although we will definitely maintain the current position for the life of this term.

Going into the next election, we will finalise another position. The disposition of the party room this evening is that our position going into the next election should be that, in a subsequent term of Parliament, this is a matter that should rightly be put to the Australian people.

What a lot of gobbledegook. That is the kind of failed leadership we have come to expect from Mr Abbott on this issue. Under Mr Abbott the government policy could currently be best described as 'something else at some time in the near future'. Mr Abbott's recent actions have once again shown that he is the biggest barrier to marriage equality in Australia. It seems that every day is Throwback Thursday for Mr Abbott, as he clings to an outdated policy driven by his own out-of-step ideology.

The community have made it clear that marriage equality is something that they want. We have seen again today polling that overwhelmingly supports marriage equality. That has not just been in 2015. The results that we see in the paper today go back to 2010. The support for marriage equality in the community is growing. It will continue to grow regardless of the tactics by the Prime Minister to delay a vote on marriage equality in the parliament. With young people aged 18 to 24, the support is at 88 per cent. As I understand it, even a majority of Mr Abbott's own front bench support a conscience vote on this issue.

Clearly, marriage equality is an issue that should be dealt with by the parliament. In fact, the High Court has made it clear that this is an issue for the Commonwealth parliament. However, if Mr Abbott is so adamant that he wants the people to vote on this issue then let them. Let the people vote, and let the people vote now. Mr Abbott's political ineptitude and dogmatic ideology have fractured his own party, with senior cabinet members duking it out on the airwaves to shape the government's future policy on marriage equality. And do you know why they are doing that? It is because they do not trust him, so they are out there trying to put their view first before Mr Abbott decides what it is for them.

We have heard repeated calls from the self-appointed leader in waiting, Mr Morrison, suggesting we need a referendum on the issue of marriage equality. That is nothing but a political ploy to delay the momentum for equality. The Attorney-General, Senator Brandis, conceded as much in this chamber. Senator Brandis agreed with Labor that the High Court has ruled that the Commonwealth parliament has the power to legislate for same-sex marriage when he said:

I can't imagine there being a referendum question on this issue because, as I indicated … on this issue, the Constitution is perfectly clear.

He said:

… the High Court has spoken unanimously, unambiguously and recently, and this is really the end of the matter.

A public vote on this issue would run the real risk of being a taxpayer funded campaign for discrimination. Tony Abbott has the ability to lead a respectful debate in the parliament, but he has chosen the path of division and delay. If the Prime Minister cannot step up, if he cannot be the leader to this nation on this issue, the very best— (Time expired)