George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, Senator Reynolds, I can, and may I say how proud I am to be a minister in the first Australian government of either political persuasion to progress the issue of marriage equality, led by Mr Turnbull, the first Prime Minister, and to be the first Attorney-General in office to be progressing this issue.

We took a plebiscite proposal to the 2016 election and had it endorsed. We introduced a plebiscite bill into the parliament. In the meantime I attempted to negotiate in good faith with the shadow Attorney-General, Mr Dreyfus, and asked him whether he had any counterproposal—if there was any way that the government could amend the plebiscite bill so as to make it acceptable to the Labor Party—and he refused to say a word. Last night we— (Time expired)