Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, too, rise to take note of the Attorney-General's answer to Senator Pratt's question. We've just heard from the last two speakers on the other side a lot about values, compassion and legal equality. There are other values here that I think are very important. They talk about all those values as if they are the only people in this chamber who have those values. I support same-sex marriage and, if the plebiscite comes back, yes, I will certainly be voting for it. However, like my colleagues on this side of the chamber, a value that we honour and respect greatly is that of keeping our promises. We went to the last election with an absolute commitment that we would put this issue to the Australian people so that they could have their say. It was a very clearly commitment—and one that we have reaffirmed again this week that we will work to honour. I respect that. I participated in the seven hours of debate and discussion two years ago, and I understood the reason that our party room took that decision and it is a reason I still support. It is a way of having this issue resolved once and for all.

I listened to the hypocrisy on a whole range of issues wafting over this chamber to this side from those opposite, and I would like to address each of those issues. First of all, I will address their sudden concern about having plebiscites. This sudden concern comes in the same week that their Leader of the Opposition has proposed at least two plebiscites on issues that they would like to address, including one that we have already in recent times had a referendum on. I cannot recall the last time that those on the other side of the chamber showed any concern about fiscal restraint—putting this nation on a trajectory of hundreds of billions of dollars worth of debt—and yet they fall to the depths in here in this debate today and say that this will cause people's deaths. It's tacky, it's sad and I think it sells all Australians short.

But the thing that upsets me most about what those opposite have been promoting—in what is really just playing politics with this issue—is their distrust of the Australian people. Our founding fathers, our own founders, didn't enshrine a bill of rights in our Constitution, because they had faith in the people in this chamber that we would move with the times and we would represent, in a representative government, the contemporary will of the Australian people. But, to do that, plebiscites are conducted when we want to actually make sure that we've got the will of the people right. There is absolutely nothing wrong with and there is nothing to fear from Australians having their say.

Everywhere I go and I meet younger Australians, they tell me: 'We want to be heard. We want to have our say.' This is something that is important, particularly to under 30s. They want to have their say on this issue. I would have thought those in this chamber would have embraced the opportunity for younger Australians to have their say on this issue, to influence government policy, to talk to their family members, to talk to their parents and to find a voice electorally. That is not something to be afraid of. Those opposite have so little confidence that the Australian people can engage in a robust but respectful debate on an issue on which there is great diversity of opinion in the Australian community. I have to say, 'Shame on you,' to those opposite for not having confidence in the Australian people that we can any more discuss issues of great importance to our country.

Our founders would be very disappointed in the fact that so many people in this chamber and in the other place do not have the confidence to go out, listen to what Australians have to say and then enact it. I remind all of us in this chamber that the only reason we are still discussing this here today—and not issues like electricity prices, jobs and all those other issues—is that the opposition played politics with it. At the last election, you did not have a position on this publicly. We did. We are delivering our commitment to the Australian people, and I am extremely proud of that. When you think about the implications of what you are doing—what you have done and what you did here again today—by denying Australians the opportunity to have their say in a proper plebiscite, in a full plebiscite, I think you should hang your heads in shame. You have done a great disservice to all Australians.