Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I will be brief. Today, Australia spoke resoundingly in support of marriage equality and in support of ending discrimination—not extending it, not entrenching it. The Greens have had a longstanding position in this place through my predecessors senators Bob Brown and Christine Milne. Indeed, every MP who has represented the Greens has been a strong supporter of marriage equality. I do want to make a point though about amendments. There was an opportunity for all supporters of marriage equality to discuss this issue through the very extensive cross-party committee process that was engaged in several months ago. It was through that process that the issue of potential amendments was raised, and significant ground was given on all sides. Let me make it very clear: the Greens made significant concessions in ensuring that a cross-party bill that got widespread support would be able to be presented to this chamber. We engaged in that committee process in good faith, knowing that we would have to give some ground if this parliament was to support it. This bill is not the bill the Greens would have introduced if we were proposing legislation ourselves.

I just say to people, particularly those people in support of marriage equality: we have already made our position very, very clear when it comes to amendments. The consensus position that we arrived at through that cross-party bill was the position that the Greens support and that we would not be entering into discussions about further extending discrimination in law. I would just say to every person who supports ending discrimination in this place: think very, very carefully about entrenching discrimination in order to appease your colleagues, rather than listening to the Australian people who spoke loudly and clearly today.