George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

No. Going into the election, some 70 per cent of Australians, including a majority of every political loyalty, supported a plebiscite, and we took a policy committing to a plebiscite to an election which we won, and you now are asking us to break an election promise. I understand perfectly well that different people may have different views about the desirability of dealing with this matter by a plebiscite, but the fact is—and you cannot rewind history—that this is a commitment we made at an election and we intend to keep to that commitment. If—as I know you do, Senator; I accept your good faith, of course, on this issue—you want to see this outcome soon then I would urge you to embrace the shortest path to it.