Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Through you, Chair, to Senator O'Sullivan: I do not know how it works, because they come in here and call on us to adopt a free-vote policy but their free-vote policy has a time limit on it and then they will adopt a binding vote after that. So I am not exactly sure where their criticism is coming from for our position of maintaining a party policy on this issue.

I noted that the first speaker on this MPI today was Senator Gallagher. I was not here for her contribution, unfortunately. But a few months ago she very succinctly summarised the dichotomous view here of the Labor Party. She was asked in a press conference a few months ago, 'Do you support a conscience vote in the Labor Party on this issue?' Senator Gallagher in response said, 'Well, I do. I do support a conscience vote.' Later on in the very same interview, she said, 'Myself—I do support a binding vote in the party.' Then she was asked the logical question after those two seemingly contradictory positions: 'Are you saying you support a binding vote or a conscience vote within the Labor Party?' Senator Gallagher said, 'Well, I support both.' I do not know. I am not getting any clarity from that position, but that is actually the Labor Party's position right now. Senator Gallagher was criticised quite strongly for it at the time, but that is what the Labor Party actually ended up adopting at their conference only a few months ago.

What the coalition adopted last week was to maintain our party position, which has been a position for some time, in support of a view that marriage is between a man and a woman, as it has been for centuries. That is how we believe it should be defined and remain defined. We do have different views in our respective political parties, the Liberal and National parties, and I have no problems with that whatsoever. It is a great thing. We should celebrate the fact that there are different views from time to time. But of course it is also the case that in our party it is the proper jurisdiction and power of the party room to establish the policy of the party room. There was a lengthy debate last week, where every member got to speak. This is an important issue, in my view. Everyone was allowed to make their contribution. At the end of it, the clear majority was in favour of maintaining our party policy position. I actually think that there should be great respect given to our Prime Minister because he gave that time of his—it was about six hours—to hear all of his party members' views and then respected the views that were in the party room and they were adopted as the party room's policy.

We have also said that there should be a people's vote after the next election on this issue. It is really important—it is such a significant issue—that we should be deliberative about this change. It is not something we should rush into. We hear from the other side that this is just delaying and it is taking too much time. Every culture known to man has had a position that marriage is between a man and a woman, for more than five centuries—and apparently taking five years to make a change to our Marriage Act is too long. I reject that view. I think the Marriage Act is very important and the definition of marriage is extremely important. I believe the nurturing of a child in a relationship between a married mother and father is the best outcome, the ideal outcome, for a child. Notwithstanding that there are other very, very good parents, the ideal outcome is to have the biological mother and father remain married and provide the care for that child. That is not something I believe from any religious or personal view; it is something I believe from a very extensive and clear-sighted look at the literature in this area. The technical literature in this area is very, very clear: the best outcome for a child's development is to be nurtured by a mother and a father who remain married.

In my view, that is one of the key reasons why this institution has evolved. We come into this place sometimes and think we know what is best for humanity and the world, without due respect for the institutions that have evolved over time in our human culture to properly reflect the problems of humanity. This institution is something that has evolved over decades and centuries to form around the relationship of a man and a woman. I believe it has been formed for one very clear reason: while it is the right and proper institution for children to be raised today, it was the right and proper institution for children to be raised five centuries ago as well. That is why it has been adopted. We should be very careful before we tinker with an institution that has lasted the test of time. I believe it is right to allow the Australian people to make that choice after a lengthy and considered debate.