Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for External Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, thousands of voters in my electorate of Lingiari have no access to direct mail services. Many can only send and receive mail once a week. Around 20 per cent are not on the Electoral Roll. During elections, the AEC takes two weeks to visit over 220 polling places to provide these people with an opportunity to have their say. How will the Prime Minister guarantee that Australians like these will be able to have their say on marriage equality in his survey?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. The honourable member doesn't want any Australian to have their say unless they're a member of the federal parliament. He doesn't want Australians to be consulted. He said 20 per cent of his constituents are not on the electoral roll. Then they wouldn't have got a say in a compulsory plebiscite either, and they don't get a say in an election.

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lingiari is warned.

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

So it's far from a tribute to the energies of the honourable member that he hasn't got all those constituents onto the electoral roll. So I would encourage him, as an enthusiast for democracy, to get those constituents onto the electoral roll so that they will be able to participate in this plebiscite, which will ensure that every Australian has their say on this issue. The only reason it isn't a compulsory attendance ballot is the Labor Party's opposition.

If I may add to an earlier answer, Mr Speaker: when the Leader of the Opposition opened up by mingling same-sex marriage and energy, I responded by saying the two issues did not have anything in common.

Ms Husar interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lindsay is warned.

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

They do have one thing in common: over six years of Labor government, the Labor Party did nothing about either.