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| Tony Abbott says same-sex marriage bill may not come to a vote – politics live | Tony Abbott says same-sex marriage bill may not come to a vote – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 8.56am AEST23:56 | |
| Tiny Tony Tapes | |
| The prime minister harking back to his student days this morning in the AM interview has prompted Kate Doak, a long time contributor to my various live blog projects, to remind me about the wonderful Tiny Tony Tapes that hit the public domain courtesy of Kate while I was still at Fairfax Media. | |
| This recording is of an interview Abbott did in 1979 with the University of New England when he was president of the Sydney University SRC. | |
| At about the eight minute mark, just after a reflection about whether the study of punk rock is a Marxist activity, Abbott is asked about representation for minority groups on campus. | |
| The future prime minister of Australia tells his host that minorities don’t need special representation. | |
| Young Tony: | |
| I’m very wary, I find it a little alarming, that people today tend to think of themselves not as members of the community but as women, blacks, migrants, homosexuals or whatever. | |
| Abbott says if the community is represented then so are minority groups. | |
| The whole conversation is a gem. Do have a listen if your day permits. | |
| Thanks muchly to Kate. | |
| 8.29am AEST23:29 | |
| Shalailah Medhora | |
| Brisk business in the corridor – we’ve had the prime minister, the treasurer Joe Hockey and Labor’s senate leader Penny Wong hitting the airwaves in the last hour. | |
| Wong told Radio National the battle was not done and dusted. | |
| “I suspect the Senate is where some Liberals are going to have to decide if they have the courage to show their convictions. What we saw yesterday was an exercise in raw power by a man who is prepared to do anything, including dividing his cabinet to get his own way,” she said of prime minister Tony Abbott, who she described as “yesterday’s man”. | |
| Wong said that divisions within the Coalition would continue to fester. “There will be moves, because so many people in this parliament think its time. I think the majority of Australians think its time.” She thought that the issue should be settled via legislation. “This is the job for parliament,” she said. “A plebiscite is simply the parliament refusing to do its job. There will be a vote on this - it’s the next election.” | |
| 8.24am AEST23:24 | 8.24am AEST23:24 |
| The back half of the AM interview was concerned with the government’s other big policy issue from Tuesday – new emissions reductions targets post 2020 – and with the government’s political fortunes more generally. | The back half of the AM interview was concerned with the government’s other big policy issue from Tuesday – new emissions reductions targets post 2020 – and with the government’s political fortunes more generally. |
| Abbott was asked about the polls. Polls go up and polls go down, the prime minister said. Isn’t your problem the polls haven’t gone up for fifteen months, Brissenden inquired? Abbott said he was confident the government was doing exactly what it was elected to do. | Abbott was asked about the polls. Polls go up and polls go down, the prime minister said. Isn’t your problem the polls haven’t gone up for fifteen months, Brissenden inquired? Abbott said he was confident the government was doing exactly what it was elected to do. |
| Sure there’s a lot of political static. The intensity of politics seems to be increasing all the time. | Sure there’s a lot of political static. The intensity of politics seems to be increasing all the time. |
| But Abbott says if you want competence and stability, stick with the Coalition. | But Abbott says if you want competence and stability, stick with the Coalition. |
| He defended the post-2020 target as responsible and achievable – a target that won’t clobber jobs and growth. | He defended the post-2020 target as responsible and achievable – a target that won’t clobber jobs and growth. |
| Abbott told his host constraining emissions won’t hurt the coal industry (which seems a contradiction in basic logic). | Abbott told his host constraining emissions won’t hurt the coal industry (which seems a contradiction in basic logic). |
| We are not expecting a reduction in the coal industry. Some mines will close and others will open. | We are not expecting a reduction in the coal industry. Some mines will close and others will open. |
| Abbott reasons that expanding Australia’s coal industry helps developing countries reduce their emissions intensity because our coal is better than theirs. | Abbott reasons that expanding Australia’s coal industry helps developing countries reduce their emissions intensity because our coal is better than theirs. |
| Renewables? Jobs of the future? | Renewables? Jobs of the future? |
| Well Michael they are highly subsidised jobs. Without the subsidy we wouldn’t have renewables on anything like the scale we do. | Well Michael they are highly subsidised jobs. Without the subsidy we wouldn’t have renewables on anything like the scale we do. |
| (What have renewables done for anyone lately?) | (What have renewables done for anyone lately?) |
| 7.58am AEST22:58 | 7.58am AEST22:58 |
| Good morning good people | Good morning good people |
| Good morning blogans, bloganistas, and welcome to the morning after the night before. Last night the Coalition met for six hours to thrash out its position on same-sex marriage and resolved to preserve the status quo, with fine print. | Good morning blogans, bloganistas, and welcome to the morning after the night before. Last night the Coalition met for six hours to thrash out its position on same-sex marriage and resolved to preserve the status quo, with fine print. |
| The prime minister told reporters about 10pm last night the Coalition would defend heterosexual marriage for this term of parliament but the government may take a reform position to the voters at the next election which might be either a conscience vote, a plebiscite or a constitutional referendum. This is known in the trade of speaking out both sides of your mouth. Here you are voters: take our same-sex marriage smorgasbord. | The prime minister told reporters about 10pm last night the Coalition would defend heterosexual marriage for this term of parliament but the government may take a reform position to the voters at the next election which might be either a conscience vote, a plebiscite or a constitutional referendum. This is known in the trade of speaking out both sides of your mouth. Here you are voters: take our same-sex marriage smorgasbord. |
| This morning, the prime minister has presented himself to the ABC bright and early to explain the smorgasbord to Australia’s commuters. In so doing Abbott has told his host Michael Brissenden the cross-party same-sex marriage bill, which is on its way to federal parliament next week, may not come to a vote. | This morning, the prime minister has presented himself to the ABC bright and early to explain the smorgasbord to Australia’s commuters. In so doing Abbott has told his host Michael Brissenden the cross-party same-sex marriage bill, which is on its way to federal parliament next week, may not come to a vote. |
| Tony Abbott: | Tony Abbott: |
| Let’s see where things go. We don’t actually know what the bill provides at this point. | Let’s see where things go. We don’t actually know what the bill provides at this point. |
| He’s indicated in the event the bill hits the house and manages to come to a vote, that backbenchers are entitled to exercise their personal views. | He’s indicated in the event the bill hits the house and manages to come to a vote, that backbenchers are entitled to exercise their personal views. |
| There’s a but though. | There’s a but though. |
| I would be disappointed if they went against the party position. | I would be disappointed if they went against the party position. |
| Abbott told listeners it is reasonable to wait a bit longer to legalise same-sex marriage given that it’s really only this generation that has ever thought of this. He says when he was at university, the idea of gay people wanting something as bourgeois as marriage would have been laughable. | Abbott told listeners it is reasonable to wait a bit longer to legalise same-sex marriage given that it’s really only this generation that has ever thought of this. He says when he was at university, the idea of gay people wanting something as bourgeois as marriage would have been laughable. |
| Brissenden presented the prime minister with polling that suggests a clear majority of voters support marriage equality. Yes, sure, the prime minister said, but legalising same-sex marriage is subject on which many people have very deep feelings. Abbott said he was respecting those deep feelings. | Brissenden presented the prime minister with polling that suggests a clear majority of voters support marriage equality. Yes, sure, the prime minister said, but legalising same-sex marriage is subject on which many people have very deep feelings. Abbott said he was respecting those deep feelings. |
| Well the prime minister is certainly resolved to respect some deep feelings in the debate, and frustrate the deep feelings that don’t conform with his deep feelings. | Well the prime minister is certainly resolved to respect some deep feelings in the debate, and frustrate the deep feelings that don’t conform with his deep feelings. |
| That’s actually the truth of the matter and it’s the danger for Abbott in this. I don’t think same-sex marriage will define the outcome of the next federal election, but Abbott’s ambivalence about the future and his discomfort with contemporary community attitudes can easily reinforce a feeling that this prime minister governs for a tetchy minority of special interests that reflect his world views, not for the political centre. | That’s actually the truth of the matter and it’s the danger for Abbott in this. I don’t think same-sex marriage will define the outcome of the next federal election, but Abbott’s ambivalence about the future and his discomfort with contemporary community attitudes can easily reinforce a feeling that this prime minister governs for a tetchy minority of special interests that reflect his world views, not for the political centre. |
| That’s his vulnerability here. | That’s his vulnerability here. |
| Quite a lot more in that interview. I’ll get to that in the next few posts but first let’s get cracking with our olitics live conversation. The thread is open for your business. You can also reach Mikearoo and I on the twits @murpharoo and @mpbowers | Quite a lot more in that interview. I’ll get to that in the next few posts but first let’s get cracking with our olitics live conversation. The thread is open for your business. You can also reach Mikearoo and I on the twits @murpharoo and @mpbowers |
| Buckle up. Here comes Wednesday. | Buckle up. Here comes Wednesday. |
| Updated at 8.12am AEST | Updated at 8.12am AEST |