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| Turnbull flies back into storm over citizenship, refugees and same-sex survey – politics live | Turnbull flies back into storm over citizenship, refugees and same-sex survey – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| It may be lost among the din, but the Senate is welcoming a new senator today. South Australia’s Rex Patrick will be sworn in as Nick Xenophon’s replacement. Xenophon resigned from parliament last month to run for a seat in the South Australian parliament. | |
| Patrick is one of Xenophon’s former senior advisors. Patrick was born in New Zealand and moved here when he was a child. Don’t worry, we’ve checked. Patrick has already provided proof of his renunciation of New Zealand citizenship. | |
| Patrick was nominated by South Australia’s parliament as Xenophon’s replacement yesterday. | |
| We’re expecting him to be sworn in early this morning. | |
| We’ve got some news this morning about Malcolm Turnbull’s trip to Manila. The New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has persistently offered to take 150 refugees from Manus Island, which would go a long way in alleviating the troubling situation in Papua New Guinea. Australia has so far rebuffed the offer. | |
| My colleague in Manila, Oliver Holmes, reports that Turnbull appears to have snubbed a public request by Ardern for a “substantive” discussion about the Manus offer. Ardern was asked on Tuesday night whether she had met with Turnbull: | |
| “Not since I saw him in passing but our officials have been talking together.” | |
| You can read the full story here. | |
| Our same-sex marriage blog has just gone live. Follow my colleague Helen Davidson for detailed coverage of the poll result. She’ll be monitoring celebrations and events across the country, and the reaction of key figures on both sides of the campaign. She’ll also have first word on the 10am announcement of the result by the Australian bureau of statistics. | Our same-sex marriage blog has just gone live. Follow my colleague Helen Davidson for detailed coverage of the poll result. She’ll be monitoring celebrations and events across the country, and the reaction of key figures on both sides of the campaign. She’ll also have first word on the 10am announcement of the result by the Australian bureau of statistics. |
| I just want to wrap up some of the politics on same-sex marriage this morning. | I just want to wrap up some of the politics on same-sex marriage this morning. |
| Already we’ve seen conservatives and moderates within the Coalition position themselves behind one of two bills proposed to make same-sex marriage lawful. Moderates are lining up behind the private member’s bill of Liberal MP Dean Smith, which has cross-party support. The conservatives are backing the bill proposed by Liberal MP James Paterson, which Malcolm Turnbull said had no chance of passing parliament. | |
| One of the Coalition’s key conservatives, Eric Abetz, is speaking on Sky News this morning. Paterson’s bill would, for example, make it lawful for a baker to refuse to make a cake for a same-sex couple’s wedding but not for a same-sex couple’s birthday. | |
| Abetz is asked isn’t that a bit odd? | |
| “It can be a bit odd and you know what, in a free society we actually allow people to be odd, if that’s what they wish to be,” Abetz replies. | “It can be a bit odd and you know what, in a free society we actually allow people to be odd, if that’s what they wish to be,” Abetz replies. |
| Abetz describes Paterson’s bill as a “masterful piece of legislative drafting”. The Smith bill is defective, he said. | Abetz describes Paterson’s bill as a “masterful piece of legislative drafting”. The Smith bill is defective, he said. |
| “It seems to be the Green/Labor/Dean Smith bill, whereas the James Paterson bill is a true embrace of classical liberal values,” he said. | |
| A bit earlier, resources minister Matthew Canavan, another key conservative, wouldn’t say whether he would accept the yes vote if it won with a margin of, say, 51%. He said he would wait and see the result. He then warned against “the tyranny of the majority”, saying there would be millions of people who would have voted no. That “minority” ought to be protected, he said. | A bit earlier, resources minister Matthew Canavan, another key conservative, wouldn’t say whether he would accept the yes vote if it won with a margin of, say, 51%. He said he would wait and see the result. He then warned against “the tyranny of the majority”, saying there would be millions of people who would have voted no. That “minority” ought to be protected, he said. |
| Australian Conservatives leader, Cory Bernardi, has also called for stronger protections for religious freedom. | Australian Conservatives leader, Cory Bernardi, has also called for stronger protections for religious freedom. |
| Liberal MP Tim Wilson, a campaigner for same-sex marriage, said the Paterson bill is unworkable and would not pass parliament. | Liberal MP Tim Wilson, a campaigner for same-sex marriage, said the Paterson bill is unworkable and would not pass parliament. |
| “It’s unamendable. He can’t get it to a position where it would be able to be passed through the parliament,” Wilson said. | “It’s unamendable. He can’t get it to a position where it would be able to be passed through the parliament,” Wilson said. |
| The Smith bill, he said, actually included stronger religious protections. | The Smith bill, he said, actually included stronger religious protections. |
| “Today is not actually about the legislation, that time will come. It’s actually about whether we are going to be a better country,” Wilson said. | “Today is not actually about the legislation, that time will come. It’s actually about whether we are going to be a better country,” Wilson said. |
| Labor’s Penny Wong said the announcement of the poll result would represent a “profoundly important statement”. | Labor’s Penny Wong said the announcement of the poll result would represent a “profoundly important statement”. |
| “It will be a profoundly important statement about our nation, it will be a profoundly important statement about what sort of country we are. I believe in an Australia that is decent and fair,” Wong said. | |
| Welcome to what will be momentous day in Australian politics. You don’t need me to tell you that the story of the day is same-sex marriage. The results of the survey will be released at 10am. | Welcome to what will be momentous day in Australian politics. You don’t need me to tell you that the story of the day is same-sex marriage. The results of the survey will be released at 10am. |
| We’re providing detailed coverage of the results in a separate blog, covered by my colleague Helen Davidson. But there’s plenty more happening around parliament today. Given the rather extraordinary events of the week thus far, we can safely predict it’ll be another day of drama in Canberra. Here’s what we know so far: | We’re providing detailed coverage of the results in a separate blog, covered by my colleague Helen Davidson. But there’s plenty more happening around parliament today. Given the rather extraordinary events of the week thus far, we can safely predict it’ll be another day of drama in Canberra. Here’s what we know so far: |
| Malcolm Turnbull is flying back into the country this morning, fresh from his trip through Asia. He’ll arrive into a developing storm within his party over which bill will be used to legalise same-sex marriage. There had been cross-party support for a bill proposed by moderate Liberal Dean Smith. But a second bill was introduced this week by Liberal MP James Paterson, who wants stronger protections to allow businesses to discriminate against same-sex weddings. Bakers and florists would be able to refuse to provide services to same-sex weddings under the bill. The Coalition’s conservatives have expressed support for stronger protections. Turnbull has already smacked it down, and we’re sure to have an interesting confrontation later today, once the survey results are known. | Malcolm Turnbull is flying back into the country this morning, fresh from his trip through Asia. He’ll arrive into a developing storm within his party over which bill will be used to legalise same-sex marriage. There had been cross-party support for a bill proposed by moderate Liberal Dean Smith. But a second bill was introduced this week by Liberal MP James Paterson, who wants stronger protections to allow businesses to discriminate against same-sex weddings. Bakers and florists would be able to refuse to provide services to same-sex weddings under the bill. The Coalition’s conservatives have expressed support for stronger protections. Turnbull has already smacked it down, and we’re sure to have an interesting confrontation later today, once the survey results are known. |
| The citizenship drama rolls on. Jacqui Lambie resigned yesterday after discovering she was a dual British citizen. But it doesn’t end there. Today, the high court is hearing whether the Liberal MP Hollie Hughes is eligible. Hughes is the replacement for deputy Nationals leader Fiona Nash, who was ruled ineligible by the high court. Hughes served on the administrative appeals tribunal part-time, meaning she may fall foul of another part of section 44, which prohibits candidates from standing if they hold an office of profit under the Crown. That section is designed to prevent public servants from running for parliament. At the same time, the Coalition is continuing to pile on the pressure over Labor and crossbench MPs it believes are in doubt: Susan Lamb, Justine Keay, Rebekha Sharkie, Josh Wilson, Madeline King. | The citizenship drama rolls on. Jacqui Lambie resigned yesterday after discovering she was a dual British citizen. But it doesn’t end there. Today, the high court is hearing whether the Liberal MP Hollie Hughes is eligible. Hughes is the replacement for deputy Nationals leader Fiona Nash, who was ruled ineligible by the high court. Hughes served on the administrative appeals tribunal part-time, meaning she may fall foul of another part of section 44, which prohibits candidates from standing if they hold an office of profit under the Crown. That section is designed to prevent public servants from running for parliament. At the same time, the Coalition is continuing to pile on the pressure over Labor and crossbench MPs it believes are in doubt: Susan Lamb, Justine Keay, Rebekha Sharkie, Josh Wilson, Madeline King. |
| The dire situation on Manus Island continues. Hundreds of men remain stranded in the detention camp. The UNHCR has urged Australia to accept New Zealand’s offer to take some of the men, an offer which has so far been refused. | The dire situation on Manus Island continues. Hundreds of men remain stranded in the detention camp. The UNHCR has urged Australia to accept New Zealand’s offer to take some of the men, an offer which has so far been refused. |
| We’re also waiting to see what the government will do with its welfare reforms. We reported on Tuesday that the Nick Xenophon team will refuse to support the drug testing of welfare recipients. The bill was due to come before the Senate today, although it may be pushed back due to the dominance of citizenship and same-sex marriage issues this week. | We’re also waiting to see what the government will do with its welfare reforms. We reported on Tuesday that the Nick Xenophon team will refuse to support the drug testing of welfare recipients. The bill was due to come before the Senate today, although it may be pushed back due to the dominance of citizenship and same-sex marriage issues this week. |
| So, stick with us and we’ll keep you posted on developments as they emerge. | So, stick with us and we’ll keep you posted on developments as they emerge. |