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| Marriage equality plebiscite appears doomed as Shorten moves to block bill | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Malcolm Turnbull has introduced the government’s same-sex marriage plebiscite bill but it is now doomed as the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, is expected to recommend Labor block the legislation. | |
| The government has ramped up pressure on Labor to support the plebiscite-enabling legislation, which it revealed on Tuesday includes $7.5m of public funding for both yes and no cases, by claiming Shorten is standing in the way of same-sex marriage. | The government has ramped up pressure on Labor to support the plebiscite-enabling legislation, which it revealed on Tuesday includes $7.5m of public funding for both yes and no cases, by claiming Shorten is standing in the way of same-sex marriage. |
| Labor will not formally decide to block the plebiscite for a further three weeks, during which time the opposition will build the case against it with consultations with LGBTI people, activists and psychiatrists. | |
| On Wednesday Turnbull moved the plebiscite bill in the lower house, arguing it was a “thoroughly democratic” way to resolve the issue of conscience, and it was what the Coalition had promised at the 2 July election. | |
| Turnbull said the two arguments that had the “most weight” against the plebiscite were that it was “not part of our traditional parliamentary process” and its cost. | |
| He conceded the first point and said some conservatives believe the plebiscite is “too much of a novelty [or] too much of an innovation” but said that was not a disqualification to support it. On cost, he said the total $170m price tag was the price of democracy. | |
| Turnbull rejected opponents’ view that “Australians cannot be trusted to have a civil conversation, that the Australian public are so immature, so unbridled, so reckles sthat they cannot be trusted to have a debate”. | |
| He claimed opponents were actually concerned the plebiscite would “run the risk of the Australian people giving them the wrong answer”. | |
| “For our part, we put our faith in the Australian people, and we know that their answer, whether it is yes or no, will be the right answer,” he said, labelling same-sex marriage a “fundamental change” to a thousands-of-years-old institution. | |
| Before flying to Canada to meet the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, Shorten said the decision to include public funding “to give a platform to bigotry shows no interest from the government to work with Labor on this”. | Before flying to Canada to meet the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, Shorten said the decision to include public funding “to give a platform to bigotry shows no interest from the government to work with Labor on this”. |
| “[Turnbull] is deliberately sabotaging the process to make it difficult for even the most ardent supporters of marriage equality to back it,” he said. “It’s clear the extreme right wing of the Liberal party are setting marriage equality up to fail.” | “[Turnbull] is deliberately sabotaging the process to make it difficult for even the most ardent supporters of marriage equality to back it,” he said. “It’s clear the extreme right wing of the Liberal party are setting marriage equality up to fail.” |
| Shorten accused Turnbull of having “no idea of the harm” a plebiscite would cause and said history would show he was “the prime minister who broke the nation’s heart” by caving in to conservatives’ demands to hold a plebiscite with public funding. | Shorten accused Turnbull of having “no idea of the harm” a plebiscite would cause and said history would show he was “the prime minister who broke the nation’s heart” by caving in to conservatives’ demands to hold a plebiscite with public funding. |
| Guardian Australia has confirmed Shorten is expected to recommend to Labor caucus that the plebiscite be blocked. | Guardian Australia has confirmed Shorten is expected to recommend to Labor caucus that the plebiscite be blocked. |
| Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, and LGBTIQ spokeswoman, Janet Rice, called on Labor to confirm it would block the plebiscite. | |
| “Let’s put the plebiscite out of its misery, it’s on life support now, let’s pull out the plug, end it and send a clear message to those in the community who fear a hate campaign,” Di Natale said. | |
| Speaking on the ABC’s AM program, Brandis said marriage equality was “so close you can touch it” and accused Shorten of putting “political game playing ahead of the merits of the issue”. | Speaking on the ABC’s AM program, Brandis said marriage equality was “so close you can touch it” and accused Shorten of putting “political game playing ahead of the merits of the issue”. |
| “Mr Shorten wants gay people to wait for years and years so that he can play politics. If that’s the way this lands, that would be disgraceful.” | “Mr Shorten wants gay people to wait for years and years so that he can play politics. If that’s the way this lands, that would be disgraceful.” |
| Asked to name marriage equality advocates who backed the plebiscite, Brandis said: “Most of the gay groups that I have met with – while the plebiscite may not be their first preference – recognise that the plebiscite is the surest and most immediate path to this outcome.” | Asked to name marriage equality advocates who backed the plebiscite, Brandis said: “Most of the gay groups that I have met with – while the plebiscite may not be their first preference – recognise that the plebiscite is the surest and most immediate path to this outcome.” |
| He said he had spoken to “those involved in the Irish referendum and they do not share Mr Shorten’s scepticism” about the civility of the plebiscite campaign. | He said he had spoken to “those involved in the Irish referendum and they do not share Mr Shorten’s scepticism” about the civility of the plebiscite campaign. |
| Australian Marriage Equality’s national spokeswoman, Shirleene Robinson, told Guardian Australia the plebiscite was “not the quickest path to marriage equality” because the Marriage Act would still need to be amended by parliament. | |
| “The quickest path for marriage equality is for politicians to work together and pass legislation through a free vote, which is what we continue to urge them to do.” | “The quickest path for marriage equality is for politicians to work together and pass legislation through a free vote, which is what we continue to urge them to do.” |
| Tiernan Brady, who ran the successful Irish referendum on marriage equality, said: “Most LGBT people are very resilient but a plebiscite will be stressful, especially for more marginalised LGBT people. | Tiernan Brady, who ran the successful Irish referendum on marriage equality, said: “Most LGBT people are very resilient but a plebiscite will be stressful, especially for more marginalised LGBT people. |
| “Having to endure a national debate about your equality and the worth of your relationships is a hard experience for any group of people to have to endure.” | “Having to endure a national debate about your equality and the worth of your relationships is a hard experience for any group of people to have to endure.” |
| The plebiscite is also opposed by other prominent marriage equality advocates Just Equal, Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gay Australians and Rainbow Families. | The plebiscite is also opposed by other prominent marriage equality advocates Just Equal, Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gay Australians and Rainbow Families. |
| Brandis argued a plebiscite would lead to greater acceptance of same-sex marriage. | Brandis argued a plebiscite would lead to greater acceptance of same-sex marriage. |