SENATOR CAROL BROWN SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR FAMILIES AND PAYMENTS LABOR SENATOR FOR TASMANIA DESPERATE TIMES FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY OPPONENTS Comments by Liberal Members and Senators, including Tasmania’s Senator Eric Abetz and Andrew Nikolic MP, show just how out of touch they are with the community on the issue of marriage equality. As momentum builds for action on marriage equality in Australia it seems that ultra conservative Liberals will leave no stone unturned in their desperate attempts to block a free vote for Coalition members. The level of debate on this issue continues to defy belief with same-sex couples, their families and allies continually subjected to some of the most offensive arguments in Australian politics. A slew of Liberal members have hit out against their own colleagues and those advocating for equality, following yesterday’s announcement that a cross-party Bill on marriage equality will be introduced when parliament returns in August. South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi, has accused marriage equality supporters within his own party of derailing the government's agenda and has said that the majority of Australians have been ‘bludgeoned’ into supporting the reforms.
SENATOR CAROL BROWNSHADOW PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR
FAMILIESAND PAYMENTSLABOR SENATOR FOR TASMANIA
DESPERATE TIMES FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY OPPONENTSComments by
Liberal Members and Senators, including Tasmanias Senator Eric
Abetz and Andrew Nikolic MP, show just how out of touch they are
with the community on the issue of marriage equality. As momentum
builds for action on marriage equality in Australia it seems that
ultra conservative Liberals will leave no stone unturned in their
desperate attempts to block a free vote for Coalition members.The
level of debate on this issue continues to defy belief with
same-sex couples, their families and allies continually subjected
to some of the most offensive arguments in Australian politics. A
slew of Liberal members have hit out against their own colleagues
and those advocating for equality, following yesterdays
announcement that a cross-party Bill on marriage equality will be
introduced when parliament returns in August.South Australian
Senator Cory Bernardi, has accused marriage equality supporters
within his own party of derailing the government's agenda and has
said that the majority of Australians have been bludgeoned into
supporting the reforms.Similarly the Member for Bass, Andrew
Nikolic MP, has told media that anyone who thinks that [marriage
equality] should be prioritised over economic or national security
issues has got rocks in their head and is totally misreading the
needs of the Australian people. I believe that it was within the
wit of my parliamentary colleagues to be able to consider multiple
complex issues within one sitting of parliament.I also believe that
there is significant support within the community for action on
marriage equality.Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz has argued that
marriage equality is part of a media agenda claiming in an Opinion
Piece today that regrettable that the media has lost its
objectivity on this issue.Not wanting to limit himself, Senator
Abetz has also argued against legalising marriage equality on the
grounds that no Asian country has introduced same-sex marriage.In
an interview this morning Senator Abetz has also described the push
for marriage equality as "the latest fad" and argued that marriage
equality would open a Pandora's box which would lead to
polyamory.It is unacceptable that these elected representatives
continue to disregard the broad community support for this long
overdue reform.If the Prime Minister and his ultra conservative
supporters are so certain that these reforms are not supported
within the parliament then they should have concern with granting a
free vote to the Coalition and allowing the issue to be dealt with
on the floor of Parliament.
