Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
2:06 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister, and it refers to his previous answer. If public funding is a matter for cabinet, why then did the Prime Minister secretly promise marriage equality opponents millions of taxpayer dollars to campaign against equality?
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I thank the honourable member for her question. The position is exactly as I stated it in the previous answer. Any funding provided will be provided absolutely scrupulously equally. We want to ensure—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The honourable member and I, I gather, will vote the same way in the plebiscite. We would both vote yes for same sex marriage.
Mr Dreyfus interjecting—
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I understand that. But I will tell you this: my commitment is to ensure that the plebiscite is utterly fair, scrupulously fair. We want every Australian to have their say and we want them to do so with a fair question and a fair process so that, at the end of the day, whichever side is unsuccessful will nonetheless be able to say: 'We had a fair go. It was fair contest, a fair question, a fair process. The Australian people spoke. They made a decision, and we the parliament then respect it and the Australian nation will respect it.' That is my commitment.
Mr Dreyfus interjecting—
Tony Smith Speaker
The member for Isaacs I cautioned during that answer. I could not have made it more clear. He is now warned.