Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Minister Abetz. A 62-year-old caller to ABC radio, Gerard from Drouin in Victoria, called in this morning, distressed that he might not get to commit to his long-term male partner through marriage before it is too late. Now that the coalition have denied their members a free vote, what do you say to Gerard, his partner and the thousands of loving couples in similar situations around Australia?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I debunk one proposition in the honourable senator's question? The coalition has a very proud history of allowing its parliamentarians to cross the floor in the event that they disagree with government policy, and indeed I look around and see quite a few takers who have availed themselves of that opportunity, including me. I have done that. And, indeed, when I found it impossible to agree with opposition policy at the time, whilst on the frontbench, I realised that, if I wanted to exercise my conscience, there was a price attached to it and I resigned from the frontbench to allow myself to act according to my conscience. We in the coalition allow our members and senators to have that freedom at all times, unlike the Australian Labor Party, which will automatically expel people who cross the floor—and, indeed, as I think Senator Canavan said earlier in a contribution today, have the Australian Greens ever split on a vote—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. A point of order, Senator Rice?

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order on relevance. He is not answering the question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Rice, part of your question did have this as a preamble, and Senator Abetz was addressing a part of the question which he said he did not agree with and was correcting that portion. But I will draw the minister's attention to the remainder of the question. Senator Abetz, you have 32 seconds in which to answer.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I understood the question, it was the false assertion that we had somehow denied a free vote to coalition members.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Rice, a further point of order?

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a further point of order on relevance. The substance of my question was: what would the government say to Gerard, his partner and the thousands of loving couples in similar situations around Australia?

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on both sides! Senator Abetz, in answering your question, Senator Rice, has been addressing facts that he would put to the caller that you identified and also he was addressing portions of the question which he was correcting in relation to the coalition party room.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To assist the honourable senator, what I would say to this 62-year-old caller on ABC radio this morning is that Senator Rice's question is based on a false premise, and that is the fact, that is the situation. And I would invite Senator Rice to not misrepresent the position of the freedom that we in the coalition have to vote according to our conscience. (Time expired)

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The Prime Minister said in May that marriage equality was an issue for the parliament. Now he says it should be resolved after the election. When will the government stop delaying this issue so we can end the discrimination faced by so many of our friends, family members, colleagues and neighbours?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would have thought it is a self-evident fact that, if we change the legislation and the definition of marriage, it will be a matter for the parliament. I would have thought that is a self-evident fact. The other fact is that we as a coalition went to the last election with a policy as to the definition of marriage—and might I add, for all those Labor Party people interjecting, that that was the Labor Party policy in 2010 as well. So let us just be clear on that. Unlike the Labor Party, who were changing their policy after election promises, like with the carbon tax, we have retained our faith with the Australian people to say that, whilst we will have a look at what might happen in the future, for this term of government we will stick by our election promises. Might I add that that is exactly what we are doing in the area of my portfolio, workplace relations. (Time expired)

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. This morning parliament was visited by members of the clergy from across the country, urging parliamentarians to support marriage equality. Will the government heed their counsel and see marriage equality as an issue of humanity, morality and love?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To suggest that the clergy, whoever they may or may not have been, represented the view of all clergy is, with respect, as the senator must know, not the view of clergy. She would have done herself and the campaign she supports more justice if she would have had the decency and integrity to say 'some clergy'. That is where, regrettably, in this debate—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's a huge point—devastating!

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again we have Senator Carr bellowing out, showing all the tolerance that they expect from others in this debate and that they will not afford to those that might not agree with them. That is, if I might say—

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just say it's never going to happen!

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And Senator Lines represents the ugliness of that as well, in this chamber and in the community. What I would say to Senator Rice and others is: accept the view that there are differing views within the clergy— (Time expired)