Labor backs Prime Minister Tony Abbott's push for cross-party consensus on gay marriage, vows to press ahead with own bill

Updated

Labor frontbenchers say the Opposition will still introduce Bill Shorten's bill to legalise gay marriage next week, while also agreeing with the Prime Minister's call for all of parliament, not just one party, to "own" change on the issue.

Coalition MPs have criticised Labor's decision to introduce a bill as "cynical" and described it as an opportunistic attempt to play politics with a divisive issue.

But deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek has this morning defended Labor's move, telling News Radio it forced the Government to address the subject.

"None of this would have happened unless Bill [Shorten] had taken this step and introduced legislation," she said.

Ms Plibersek said Labor would still introduce its private members bill next week, even though it was doomed to fail without Coalition support.

But she also said that she would be "delighted" to see bipartisanship on the issue and said it would not matter which party introduced legislation.

"We are completely open to talking about co-sponsorship or any other measure that makes it easier for this to be acceptable and for a free vote to be achieved in the Liberal party room," she said.

In response to Labor's announcement this week that it would introduce a private members bill on the issue, Tony Abbott yesterday told Question Time: "If our parliament were to make a big decision on a matter such as this, it ought to be owned by the parliament and not by any particular party."

Looking across the dispatch box at Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, Mr Abbott said: "So I would ask the Leader of the Opposition and all members of parliament to consider this as we ponder these subjects in the weeks and months to come."

The comments, acknowledging the renewed public and political interest in Australia following Ireland's popular vote in favour of same-sex marriage, are a major shift for the Prime Minister.

His call has also won the backing of at least one frontbench colleague.

Treasurer Joe Hockey last night endorsed the Prime Minister's call for a cross-party approach.

"The best way for this to be dealt with fairly is to ensure that it's not owned by any one person," Mr Hockey told Radio National.

"This has got to be a community response, a genuine community response."

Mr Abbott yesterday said the decision on whether or not Liberal MPs should have a free vote on the issue would be decided following a partyroom debate.

"It may well come before the Parliament again at some time and when it is starting to come close to a vote in the Parliament, that's the time our party room should discuss it," he said.

We will press on until Libs granted conscience vote: Bowen

A debate within the Liberal party room is not expected to occur until August at the earliest, and Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen said until Liberals were given a free vote, Labor would continue with its own legislation.

"The fact of the matter is as it stands they [Liberal MPs] do not have the ability for it," Mr Bowen said, referring to the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

"The Prime Minister said yesterday in Question Time this should be owned by the whole Parliament. I agree.

"The only way it can be owned by the entire Parliament is for him [Mr Abbott] to allow a conscience vote for his members of Parliament.

"For the Labor Party to try and bring this issue to a head so that people in same-sex relationships can marry and have equal rights, it's not only an opportunity to do that, it's an obligation."

Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, lgbt, marriage, parliament, abbott-tony, bill-shorten, hockey-joe, community-and-society, australia, ireland

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