Labor rules out ‘no confidence’ motion over marriage equality

The Manager of Opposition Business,  Tony Burke, has ruled out Labor calling for a no confidence motion in the government should the proposed Marriage Amendment and Religious Freedoms Bill put forward by rebel Liberal MPs make it to the floor of parliament.

Federal Liberal politicians will come together tomorrow afternoon for an emergency meeting in Canberra.

They are expected to discuss a range of options for addressing marriage equality including the possibility of passionate pro-marriage equality MPs crossing the floor and bringing on a vote on a private members bill put forward by WA senator Dean Smith.

The team of MPs supporting the move that would generate a debate on the floor over parliament have been warned that their actions could potentially lead to a vote of no confidence in the Turnbull government should the government lose control of the parliament.

Labor’s Tony Burke has ruled out such a move, telling SKY News it would not be something the opposition would be initiating.

“In no way, shape or form,” Burke said on Sunday.

“If (a free vote in parliament is) happening we’re not going to say ‘there you go, the parliament’s lost faith in the government’.

“If it were to happen we would not follow up immediately with a motion of no confidence in the government. We don’t want the Liberal partyroom to be able to claim that people are trying to get legislation through in a similar form to what many members of the Labor Party are trying to get through, that in any way what they are doing is beyond the simplicity of getting a law through the parliament.

“We want to be able to give an absolute guarantee to those members of the Liberal Party who are pursuing this, that if anyone puts to them this would amount to a vote of no confidence in the government, it would not.”

OIP Staff