Prime Minister Tony Abbott has ruled out Australia holding a referendum on marriage equality telling reporters that it’s a serious issue but not high on the government’s priorities.
Mr Abbott was questioned by reporters in Brisbane on Sunday following Ireland’s historic referendum to allow same sex marriage. The Prime Minster ruled out a national referendum on the issue.
Unlike Ireland, Australia is able to change marriage laws without changing the nation’s constitution. Mr Abbott said the issue was one for the parliament but it has been dealt with under the Gillard government.
Mr Abbott said there were “good people” on both sides of the debate and if the issue was raised again in the parliament politicians would have to address it.
The Prime Minister reinstated that the Liberal party room was consider the issue of a free vote on the subject if legislation was presented to the parliament.
The Prime Minister’s position continues the stale-mate between politicians like Labor’s Tanya Plibersek and the Liberal Democrats David Leyonjhelm. Both have suggested introducing marriage equality legislation but have said they won’t bring it forward until Liberal members are given a free vote on the issue. Mr Abbott has said the party won’t consider the free vote until there is legislation.
This morning The Greens’ Senator Sarah Hanson-Young announced she would bring forward a bill to be debated in July.
Mr Abbott said the there was a range of views on the topic amongst politicians and within his own family.
“There are a range of views inside the parliament, there are a range of views inside my party room, frankly there are a range of views inside my family,” Mr Abbott said
“Inside the Abbott family I’m probably the last holdout for the traditional position.”
Mr Abbott’s statement was satirised by The West Australian’s cartoonist Dean Alston.
Tremendous @DeanAlston cartoon on rainbow dynamics in Chez Abbott pic.twitter.com/4o5HpT02mx
— Andrew Probyn (@andrewprobyn) May 24, 2015
The Prime Minister’s sister, Christine Forester, has said the government needs to decide whether or not it will allow MPs to have a free vote on the issue before the end of 2015 or it will become a “political football” heading into the next election.
“This is an issue that needs to be dealt with [during] the term of this Parliament,” Ms Forester told Fairfax Media on Monday.
Ms Forester is a City of Sydney councillor and has been in a relationshipwith her partner Virginia Edwards since 2003.
Reporters noted that the Prime Minister resisted using the terms ‘same sex marriage’ or ‘marriage equality’ on Sunday, only referring to it as “this issue’.
The Prime Minister said the government’s focus in the upcoming week would be on helping small businesses.
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who supports marriage equality, has described Australia’s position as “out of step” with other western nations.
“Australia I suppose is the odd one out or is the one that has not yet turned its mind in a parliamentary sense to reviewing the law.
“The point is the context has dramatically changed and we can’t be blind to that.” Mr Turnbull told the ABC.
Fellow Liberal MP Warren Entsch said has told ABC News24 there is growing support within the Liberal party for marriage equality and that he hopes the Prime Minister will set a time table for discussing the issue.
“We’re not being that aggressive on this,” Mr Entsch said.
“As time has progressed, you’re seeing more and more people changing their views.”
OIP Staff
