Liberal Nationals MP Warren Entsch has introduced his bill for marriage equality into federal parliament.
While the government’s front bench was largely empty, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Education Minister Christopher Pyne were present and showing their support.
Mr Entsch said his bill was not about ranking marriages of same sex couples against heterosexual unions but recognising that all relationships are equal.
“This bill is designed to promote an inclusive Australia, not a divided one. A divided nation is what we will be if we continue to allow discrimination in relation to marriage on the basis of a person’s sexuality.”
Mr Entsch said he and his cosponsors recognised that there were conflicting views on the issue of marriage.
“Much of the evolutions of our social norms comes about through greater understanding. Many aspects of tradition that were seen as usual practices fifty or a hundred years ago and clearly today unthinkable.”
The bill was a rare show of collaboration between political parties with the legislation being co-sponsored by Labor’s Terri Butler and Laurie Ferguson, Liberal Teresa Gambaro, The Green’s Adam Bandt and Independents Cathy McGowan and Andrew Wilkie.
New polling released today showed that a majority of Australians support marriage equality. The Fairfax-Ipsos poll showed 69% of people are in favour of marriage equality, while 25% of people are opposed.
The same poll also showed support for the government dropping. If an election was held today the government would expect to experience a 7.5% swing against it and face an election wipe-out that could see them lose up to 36 seats.
During his speech Mr Entsch thanked Rodney Croome and Ivan Hinton-Teoh from Australian Marriage Equality for their support and shared the stories of many Australians who had helped form his view on the why marriage should be open to same sex couples, and people who are transgender and intersex.
Mr Entsch spoke of a gay couple in Sydney who are in their 80’s. Mr Entsch said the couple who have been together for over 48 years should be allowed to wed before it’s too late for them.
Mr Entsch said that by meeting LGBTIQ people had learned that being gay is not a “lifestyle” choice.
OIP Staff
