Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

On this matter of public importance, I want to note up-front that this is a very personal and very heartfelt question for many people. I want to start by quoting someone else, someone who a few years ago said: 'On the issue of marriage, I think the reality is there is a cultural, religious and historical view around that which we have to respect. I do respect the fact that's how people view the institution.' That was a quote from the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Penny Wong, in July 2010, defending her then position in favour of traditional marriage. I do not begrudge anyone the right to change their view, after consideration, and obviously Senator Wong did that in the intervening five-year period. But she had a different view five years ago, and I still have a view—I have not changed my view over that period—in support of keeping the current definition of marriage. I respect other views. I am not going to try and make any comment on the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, but I do note that, from senators opposite, sometimes I do not feel that respect coming through in their contributions in this chamber on this debate, including from some senators who have changed their views in very short spaces of time. There is almost this view that it is a moral issue, that you must be immoral if you hold a different view, that you must be cast out if you do not agree with their view, when only a few years ago they held the very same view as me. That to me seems anomalous and something that cannot be held up to right and proper scrutiny in this debate.

I would also say that there are still Labor senators who support traditional marriage, and I speak to some of them sometimes. Sometimes they freely admit that they continue to support traditional marriage, except you would never hear them say that in this chamber.