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

Senator Di Natale says, 'Boring'. Yes, the facts are boring, aren't they? 'Every Green, every vote, every time,' but not today, again. Twice in three days the Australian Greens will vote to ensure that there is not a vote on marriage equality. Twice in three days the Australian Greens will vote to prevent a vote on marriage equality. So don't you ever come in here and tell us how committed you are to this issue. We will be supporting Senator Leyonhjelm's suspension of standing orders in order to ensure that there is a vote on marriage equality. Twice in three days, on the basis of Senator Simms's contribution, we will see the Australian Greens vote with Senator Bernardi to prevent a vote on marriage equality before the Senate leaves today.

The Australian Greens care more about eliminating the minor parties in this place than they do about eliminating discrimination against same-sex couples. And twice in three days they will demonstrate that, when they walk—on the walk of shame—and vote to prevent a vote on marriage equality before the Senate rises. I say to Senator Simms: if you are seriously telling the Australian people and the LGBTI community that somehow a gag in a private senators' debate for an hour is a better option than a full debate in the Senate, when every single senator who wants to make a contribution can make a contribution and the debate can be brought to conclusion before we leave, I think really you are wrong and your base politics on this will be demonstrated. The truth is: the only vote you are going to propose is one that the Liberals will let you have. The only vote you are going to propose is the one that Senator Abetz and Senator Bernardi and the Liberals will let you have, and that is a gag vote in private senators' business. The only vote the Australian Greens want on marriage equality is the one that the Liberal government will let them have. Their contribution later today will be a demonstration of their hypocrisy on this matter.