Turnbull will reportedly not march, but the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, will, making him the first federal leader of one of the two major parties to do so

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Malcolm Turnbull will attend Saturday’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade in Sydney, making him the first sitting prime minister to do so.

However, according to reports, Turnbull will stop short of marching in the LGBTI pride parade. The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, will march in the parade, making him the first federal leader of one of the two major parties to do so.

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In previous years Turnbull has attended the parade, conducted on Oxford Street in his eastern Sydney electorate of Wentworth, but this will be his first attendance as prime minister.

His decision to attend comes after reports senior government MPs warned him it would be a “dangerous” thing to do.

In a message of support in the Mardi Gras festival guide Turnbull said the event was a celebration of Australia’s diversity.

“The hard work and commitment of Sydney’s LGBTQI community has seen this event grow to a festival drawing visitors to Sydney from around the world. However, we cannot forget the history of Mardi Gras and the ongoing need to promote inclusion and deliver equality for all Australians,” he said.

The 38th Mardi Gras parade will consist of 175 floats with 12,500 participants marching. Hundreds of thousands of onlookers will watch the parade along the route up Oxford Street and Flinders Street.

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Shorten said he was “delighted to be attending Mardi Gras with my wife Chloe, our kids, and my Labor party colleagues to show our support for marriage equality”.

“Mardi Gras is a fantastic celebration of LGBTI culture, and a powerful demonstration of the ongoing fight against discrimination,” he said.

“We’re on the cusp of achieving marriage equality and for me, there’s never been a more exciting time to attend Mardi Gras for the first time.”

Shorten pledged if elected a Labor government would introduce a bill within 100 days to legalise same-sex marriage.

A record number of Greens MPs will participate in the parade, including federal leader Richard Di Natale; federal senators Janet Rice, Robert Simms and Lee Rhiannon; and New South Wales MPs Jenny Leong, Tamara Smith, Jamie Parker, Mehreen Faruqi and David Shoebridge.



“The Australian Greens have a proud of history of standing up for the rights of everyone, no matter who they are or who they love,” said Di Natale. “We will continue to work for respect and recognition of all LGBTIQ Australians with every one of our votes, every time. Happy Mardi Gras.”