Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Can I first say I do not actually need a lecture from anybody about this being about people's lives. I know that. It is about my life. Can I also say that the Greens are wrong to say that this was never brought to a vote. It was brought to a vote in the previous parliament, and I and many people on my side voted for marriage equality.

I want to say this about Senator Simms—and I have said previously that I do respect the fact that he advocates for this issue with genuine conviction. He says here, 'Don't use this as a political wedge.' The Greens on social media and in the media have been going on about, 'Bring it on for a vote today,' but they now stand up and say, when we are trying to bring it on for a vote today, 'That's a political wedge.' We have the Greens tweeting and on other social media, saying: 'It's time. Marriage equality's been discussed for decades and debated for decades. Let's bring it to a vote and get it done.' Then Senator Simms stands up and says, 'But not this vote; just maybe a vote later if we can get a gag up in private senators' bills.

Let no-one misunderstand what Senator Leyonhjelm's motion would enable. I commend him for his commitment to this issue. We may not agree on everything, but I commend him for his commitment on this issue. His motion would ensure a vote on marriage equality before we go home, and we would have a full debate. It would be treated as the Senate voting changes would be treated. Every senator who wants to make a contribution would be able to make a contribution, and we would vote on marriage equality before we went home. That is what is being offered up today to the Australian Greens. But what we have is their spokesperson on this saying, 'Every Green, every vote, every time, but not today'—again—'because we want it to be a vote on a gag,' after two or three senators in private senators' business have had the opportunity to make a contribution. Now who wants to talk about political wedging and a lack of commitment on this issue?