Bloc consisting of Labor, the Greens, Nick Xenophon and Derryn Hinch would be sufficient to stop legislation

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Bill Shorten has prepared the ground for Labor to block the government’s proposed marriage equality plebiscite after he launched a stinging attack on the plan.

Speaking to the National Press Club on Wednesday, the opposition leader said he and many of his colleagues were “on the record as opposing” the plebiscite.

“I am gravely concerned about the merits of the plebiscite,” he said.

With senators Nick Xenophon and Derryn Hinch indicating this week that they would vote against legislation to enable the plebiscite, a parliamentary bloc is emerging consisting of Labor, the Greens, Xenophon and Hinch that would be sufficient to block it.

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Shorten described the proposed $160m plebiscite as “nonsense” and “ridiculous”, saying that while voting would be compulsory Coalition MPs would be free to disregard its result.



He noted the former high court judge Michael Kirby’s argument that a plebiscite is a departure from the way Australia has legislated on all policy issues in the past 100 years.

Shorten noted Malcolm Turnbull, before he became prime minister in September, had backed a free vote in parliament.

Hinting that Turnbull’s position in private may be different to public support for the plebiscite, Shorten said: “Now Malcolm Turnbull knows the right way to go here but he is captive. I have spoken to him about it.



“The only reason the Liberals are contemplating a plebiscite is it’s a delaying tactic.

“When did the rest of us sign up to spending $160m? That is a high price to pay for one man’s job.

“What good is it for kids whose parents are same-sex attracted to have to go through this ... and be vilified and stigmatised?”



Before the election Shorten said Labor would not accept the Coalition’s “grubby deal” for a plebiscite; after the election and a meeting with the prime minister he said he was “not convinced” about it.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A march in support of same-sex marriage in Sydney. Labor, the Greens, Nick Xenophon and Derryn Hinch have 39 votes in the Senate, which is enough to block the plebiscite enabling legislation. Photograph: Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

On Radio National on Wednesday, Xenophon said he was “not convinced about the need for a plebiscite”.

“This is something the parliament should be able to vote on ... [We’re] more than well paid enough to make a decision like this. That’s what we’re voted in for.”

Xenophon, whose party has three senators, derided it as “the world’s most expensive opinion poll at [a cost of] $160m”.

“It’s more to do with the politics within the Coalition rather than what I think the community wants, which is to get on with this issue to be dealt with where it ought to be dealt with – and I think that’s the fed parliament.”

Asked if his party would pass the plebiscite enabling legislation, Xenophon replied: “Right now it’s a no.

“I can’t see they’d be able to ameliorate this.”

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Xenophon said the aspects of the plebiscite that troubled him were the cost, the amount of “national oxygen” spent on the issue and its non-binding nature.

“I’d like to think parliament ought to give this it’s absolute best shot trying to resolve this issue without the need for a plebiscite ... I don’t see why we can’t get on with it like other countries have in the parliament.”

On Tuesday senator Derryn Hinch told Melbourne radio he hoped to block the Coalition’s plebiscite to “save $160m and put it somewhere else”.

“When John Howard tightened the Marriage Act and put the words man and woman in there they didn’t go to the people; they were the elected government and, with the support of the Labor party, they did it,” he said.

Hinch said the plebiscite was “crazy” and could cost up to $250m.

“I hope there’s some way it could be avoided because that’s a heck of a lot of money.

“It should just be: bring it on, vote it in and let’s get on with it.”

The Greens have criticised the plebiscite in the strongest possible terms but are waiting to see the the final legislation before deciding on voting tactics.

On Monday the Greens’ leader, Richard Di Natale, said the plebiscite was “pointless” and called on the prime minister to “end the sham, end the delays and end the discrimination against people who want to celebrate their love”.

“We already know there’s overwhelming support for marriage equality in the community and in the parliament so it can’t be seen as anything but a delay tactic.”

Last week the former Greens senator and marriage equality spokesman Robert Simms called on his party to block the plebiscite.

Together Labor, the Greens, Xenophon and Hinch have 39 votes in the Senate, enough to block the plebiscite enabling legislation.

A spokesman for the Tasmanian crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie has said her support for the plebiscite is conditional on it being run together with plebiscite questions on Indigenous recognition and euthanasia.

Pauline Hanson has said she prefers a constitutional definition of marriage but has no intention of blocking the plebiscite.