Prime minister says it is not possible to stop people saying hurtful things in same-sex marriage postal survey campaign without shutting down free speech

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Malcolm Turnbull has claimed “99.9999%” of Australians will conduct public debate on same-sex marriage respectfully despite acknowledging that some campaign material already published has been “hurtful”.

The prime minister has urged a respectful debate but told 2Day FM in Sydney that in a democracy people “will often say things that are hurtful and unfair and sometimes cruel”.

The $122m postal survey asking Australians whether the law should be changed to allow couples of the same sex to marry is set to be conducted from 12 September if it survives two high court challenges.

Turnbull was asked about homophobic campaign materials discovered at the weekend, including a poster found in Melbourne urging Australians to “stop the fags” and incorrectly claiming that children of gay parents disproportionately suffer abuse.

Think of the kids: why marriage equality opponents are wrong on parenting Read more

The prime minister said that Australian society “is built on a foundation of mutual respect, so I deplore disrespectful, abusive language whether it is directed at young gay people, or people of other religions, or people of other races”.

“That is part of a debate, the only way to stop people saying things that you find hurtful is to shut down free speech,” he said on Tuesday.

Asked if he found the posters hurtful, Turnbull paused and replied: “Well, yes I do.

“If you have friends who are really distressed by this sort of language, stand up for them, put your arms around them,” he said.

Turnbull said that if people “don’t agree” with anti same-sex marriage campaign material or the postal survey they should nevertheless participate.

“If the postal vote is carried, the legalisation of same-sex marriage will sail through the parliament,” he said.

Asked to give a message to LGBTI youth, Turnbull said: “Believe in yourself, be proud of yourself.”

Turnbull said people were entitled to disagree with supporters of marriage equality because the issue of legalising same-sex marriage “is a legitimate debate”.

The prime minister warned that arguing it was illegitimate to “debate equality”, as the broadcaster Em Rusciano suggested, would undermine the case for same-sex marriage. “You cannot ask respect from the no case if you’re not prepared to give respect to the no case.

“The vast majority of people who do not agree with same-sex marriage ... they are not homophobic, they don’t denigrate gay people. They have a view about marriage and they believe it should remain between a man and a woman.”

The prime minister said participants in the debate tended to caricature the other side, adding “the vast majority of Australians, like 99.9999% or whatever are very respectful of each other, and understand there are differences of opinion”.

Turnbull urged Australians not to be “distracted by a handful of extreme or unpleasant posters or flyers” but instead to “focus on the substance of the debate”.

He reiterated that he and his wife, Lucy, will be voting yes in the postal survey, adding that same-sex marriage did not threaten his marriage.

“The threats to traditional marriage ... are not gay people getting married, the threats are desertion, cruelty, neglect, abandonment, indifference – those are the threats.”

Who's Paul Kelly kidding? The churches don't need any more protection against LGBTI rights | David Marr Read more

Turnbull targeted Labor for “doing nothing” in six years of government, and defended the postal survey as fulfilment of the Coalition election promise to give Australians a say.

In recent days the Liberal party has been engaged in infighting over whether religious freedoms would be sufficiently protected if same-sex marriage were legalised.

Tony Abbott and two Liberal ministers have rejected the view of the attorney general, George Brandis, that religious freedom is not at issue in the postal survey.

On Tuesday the minister for transport and infrastructure, Darren Chester, told Sky News that young people, especially LGBTI people, faced higher suicide rates and although he would not claim same-sex marriage will “fundamentally change everything ... it does send a message of acceptance and tolerance”.

“Anything we can do to help young people who may be having trouble growing up, with a range of issues, anything we can do, if we can help them feel accepted and tolerated, is a good thing and I believe the community is ready for the change.”