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| Same-sex marriage: Dean Smith evokes Menzies and Howard in plea for conscience vote | Same-sex marriage: Dean Smith evokes Menzies and Howard in plea for conscience vote |
| (11 days later) | |
| Dean Smith has evoked Robert Menzies and John Howard in a plea to the Liberal party to allow a conscience vote on same-sex marriage before a special party meeting to discuss the issue on Monday. | Dean Smith has evoked Robert Menzies and John Howard in a plea to the Liberal party to allow a conscience vote on same-sex marriage before a special party meeting to discuss the issue on Monday. |
| The WA Liberal senator rejected the suggestion that the issue was a test of Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership. | The WA Liberal senator rejected the suggestion that the issue was a test of Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership. |
| “This is not Malcolm Turnbull’s test,” Smith told Sky. “This is a test of every member of the parliamentary Liberal party.” | “This is not Malcolm Turnbull’s test,” Smith told Sky. “This is a test of every member of the parliamentary Liberal party.” |
| Asked if he would make the bill available before the special party meeting, Smith said “it is absolutely my intention to make a bill available”. | Asked if he would make the bill available before the special party meeting, Smith said “it is absolutely my intention to make a bill available”. |
| “The idea that members in our party are afforded a free vote or a conscience vote on sensitive issues like this one – that is a well-cherished principle, it’s a Menzian principle that John Howard used on no less than five occasions,” Smith said. | “The idea that members in our party are afforded a free vote or a conscience vote on sensitive issues like this one – that is a well-cherished principle, it’s a Menzian principle that John Howard used on no less than five occasions,” Smith said. |
| “I think we will rue the day if we sacrifice those cherished values and principles on this issue.” | “I think we will rue the day if we sacrifice those cherished values and principles on this issue.” |
| Howard allowed five conscience votes during his 11-year term – on euthanasia, human cloning, the abortion drug RU486 and two bills relating to embryo research. | Howard allowed five conscience votes during his 11-year term – on euthanasia, human cloning, the abortion drug RU486 and two bills relating to embryo research. |
| Whether Smith releases his bill or not, Liberal MPs will meet on the day before parliament sits to resolve the issue of whether there should be a conscience vote on same-sex marriage. | Whether Smith releases his bill or not, Liberal MPs will meet on the day before parliament sits to resolve the issue of whether there should be a conscience vote on same-sex marriage. |
| Already five lower house Liberal MPs have signalled their support for the bill and urged their party to allow a free vote. | Already five lower house Liberal MPs have signalled their support for the bill and urged their party to allow a free vote. |
| The National party met to determine its position on the issue at its party room meeting in Rockhampton on Friday. As expected, it stuck to the plebiscite. | The National party met to determine its position on the issue at its party room meeting in Rockhampton on Friday. As expected, it stuck to the plebiscite. |
| Barnaby Joyce said he would not be giving instruction or commentary to the Liberal party, even though the National MP Andrew Broad had previously threatened to sit on the crossbenches if the Coalition abandoned the plebiscite policy. | Barnaby Joyce said he would not be giving instruction or commentary to the Liberal party, even though the National MP Andrew Broad had previously threatened to sit on the crossbenches if the Coalition abandoned the plebiscite policy. |
| “One thing [the Liberal party] can’t stand is to get instruction or commentary from the National party, just like the National party can’t stand commentary from the Liberal party about us,” the deputy prime minister said on Friday. | “One thing [the Liberal party] can’t stand is to get instruction or commentary from the National party, just like the National party can’t stand commentary from the Liberal party about us,” the deputy prime minister said on Friday. |
| Broad is still not answering media calls after reports he told colleagues his support was contingent on the government sticking to the plebiscite policy, struck under Tony Abbott’s leadership two years ago. | Broad is still not answering media calls after reports he told colleagues his support was contingent on the government sticking to the plebiscite policy, struck under Tony Abbott’s leadership two years ago. |
| Opponents of marriage equality, including Abbott, have called on the party to stick with the 2015 policy for a plebiscite, which has already been blocked in parliament. | Opponents of marriage equality, including Abbott, have called on the party to stick with the 2015 policy for a plebiscite, which has already been blocked in parliament. |
| Abbott has also urged Coalition members to honour the 2016 election promise to hold a plebiscite, while breaking his promise to the party room that the previous parliament would be the last term in which the Coalition could be bound to the policy. Such a move would potentially lock the party into a plebiscite for the next parliamentary term. | Abbott has also urged Coalition members to honour the 2016 election promise to hold a plebiscite, while breaking his promise to the party room that the previous parliament would be the last term in which the Coalition could be bound to the policy. Such a move would potentially lock the party into a plebiscite for the next parliamentary term. |
| The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, and Nationals senator Barry O’Sullivan are among those who support a postal plebiscite, but Smith said he would not support such a move. | The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, and Nationals senator Barry O’Sullivan are among those who support a postal plebiscite, but Smith said he would not support such a move. |
| “I have made it very, very clear that I cannot support and will not support a plebiscite nor a postal plebiscite,” Smith said. | “I have made it very, very clear that I cannot support and will not support a plebiscite nor a postal plebiscite,” Smith said. |
| “They are corrosive, they are divisive, I think they will stain our parliamentary democracy and not improve it.” | “They are corrosive, they are divisive, I think they will stain our parliamentary democracy and not improve it.” |
| He said a postal plebiscite would disenfranchise younger voters and would be open to legal challenge. | He said a postal plebiscite would disenfranchise younger voters and would be open to legal challenge. |
| “The parliament will not allow the plebiscite because it has failed to win community support.” | “The parliament will not allow the plebiscite because it has failed to win community support.” |
| Smith said his bill would be a “true and accurate reflection” of the Senate committee report | Smith said his bill would be a “true and accurate reflection” of the Senate committee report |
| “If people are interested, curious to know what is in a bill that I will bring forward, then their first point of course should be to read the Senate report, read the Hansard transcripts, read the submissions, and they’ll be able to get a very, very clear indication of what my bill may look like.” | “If people are interested, curious to know what is in a bill that I will bring forward, then their first point of course should be to read the Senate report, read the Hansard transcripts, read the submissions, and they’ll be able to get a very, very clear indication of what my bill may look like.” |
| The Senate inquiry unanimously rejected several proposed forms of discrimination against LGBTI people, including the ability for civil celebrants to reject their weddings. | The Senate inquiry unanimously rejected several proposed forms of discrimination against LGBTI people, including the ability for civil celebrants to reject their weddings. |
| The report recommended a new category of independent religious celebrants who would be allowed to refuse to marry couples on the basis of the celebrant’s religious belief. | The report recommended a new category of independent religious celebrants who would be allowed to refuse to marry couples on the basis of the celebrant’s religious belief. |
| It also recommended that civil celebrants should be required to marry any couples that are legally allowed while ministers of religion would retain their current right to refuse weddings on grounds of sex, sexuality and family status. | It also recommended that civil celebrants should be required to marry any couples that are legally allowed while ministers of religion would retain their current right to refuse weddings on grounds of sex, sexuality and family status. |
| Marriage equality | Marriage equality |
| Liberal party | Liberal party |
| National party | National party |
| Coalition | Coalition |
| Malcolm Turnbull | Malcolm Turnbull |
| Barnaby Joyce | Barnaby Joyce |
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