Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the member for Warringah's comments that it is good to be popular. Given the Prime Minister's plebiscite is almost as unpopular as his government, when will he dump the member for Warringah's plebiscite and have a free vote on marriage equality?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first government in our history to present a bill which will lead to the legalisation of gay marriage and marriage equality is our government. That bill is before the House now. We have taken that step. The Rudd government did not. The Gillard government did not. Previous governments have not done it, so we have done it. We have presented that bill. It provides a clear pathway. Everyone will get a vote on 11 February. If the polls which the honourable member presumably likes to read are to be believed, it will be carried overwhelmingly and so same-sex couples will be able to get married.

The honourable member objects to Australians being consulted by way of a plebiscite. Only a few years ago, the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Maribyrnong, advocated a plebiscite in the course of a meeting with the Australian Christian Lobby. He went to see them and he told them he supported a plebiscite. Indeed, only a year ago, the Greens party supported a plebiscite. They advocated for a plebiscite. So the two parties that promise they will steadfastly oppose this bill in the Senate are the Greens and the Labor Party, each of whom has advocated for a plebiscite.

It is a thoroughly democratic process. I understand the criticisms that can be made of it. We can all recognise them. But honourable members opposite have to recognise this fundamental reality: this is our government's policy. We took it to the election. We won the election. We are presenting this plebiscite bill in the House. We expect it to be passed in the House in the course of the next few days. Then it will be sent to the Senate, and we seek the support of the Senate. If the members opposite want to stop playing politics, if they want gay couples to get married, they should vote for the plebiscite. The road is open; the door is open. It is right there; it is 11 February. All they need to do is vote for it, but the reality is the Labor Party wants to play politics with this issue much more than they want same-sex couples to be able to get married. That is the truth. You are putting politics and your games ahead of the interests of same-sex couples.