Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has raised concern that the government’s plan for a drawn out process for a plebiscite vote on marriage equality could lead to attacks and abuse being directed at LGBTI Australians.

The Labor leader has said that he’s open to discussing a plebiscite option with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull but Labor still favoured a parliamentary conscience vote.

Mr Shorten told the Sydney Morning Herald that he was concerned about obvious divisions with the Liberal party over the issue.

Senator Eric Abetz has slammed colleague Warren Entsch for suggesting a timeline for a plebiscite that allowed for a people’s vote in 2016. Senator Abetz has described Mr Entsch;s suggestion as a “thought bubble” that is an ambush against conservative members of the party.

“Tony Abbott may have been captain of the extreme right of the Liberal Party but as I say Malcolm Turnbull is a prisoner of the extreme right of the Liberal Party.” Mr Shorten said.

The Labor leader has written an opinion piece for Fairfax Media today where he raises his concern that a plebiscite will lead to LGBTI Australian being abused and attack over who they love.

“A plebiscite could act as a lightning rod for the very worst of the prejudice so many LGBTI Australians endure. A platform for people to attack, abuse and demean Australians on the basis of who they love.

“The fact is, casual, unthinking discrimination and deliberate, malicious homophobia are still far too common in our society.

“It’s not confined to keyboard warriors and Twitter trolls. It’s in our schoolyards, our workplaces, our sporting clubs. This takes a heavy toll on mental health, particularly for young people.” Mr Shoten wrote.

The Labor leader said he was concerned about the high level of suicide among young LGBTI people and was concerned that  the government’s plan for a long debate cold have a negative effect.

Mr Shorten said the government’s plan would give a megaphone to the worst kind of hatred.

Last month a Senate Inquiry heard that the plan for a plebiscite may have a negative effect on the mental health of LGBTI Australians.

NSW Nationals MP Trevor Khan, a member of the NSW Parliamentary Working Group on Marriage Equality said that the debate had the potential to be extremely destructive.

“For teenage LGBTI youth who may be going through the decisions as to whether they are going to come out, to be bombarded over what would be a period of months, is potentially extremely destructive,” said Mr Khan.

“We know that with regards to LGBTI youth, their rate of suicide and self-harm is something in the order of six times higher than the general population, so the reality is we are looking at the prospect of doing serious damage to children out of this debate.”

OIP Staff