Coalition marriage equality campaigner denies ‘any scamming or attempt to delay’ plebiscite after Turnbull initially pledged to hold the vote before year’s end

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Coalition marriage equality campaigner Warren Entsch has supported a February plebiscite and backed a simple question such as “do you approve of a law to permit people of the same sex to marry?”

Entsch was reacting to reports the plebiscite would be held in February 2017 – which is a change from previous statements by Malcolm Turnbull for a vote before the end of the year.

While Coalition revenue minister Kelly O’Dwyer on Sunday rejected suggestions that any firm decision had been made on the timing or the question of the plebiscite, Entsch said he understood the vote would take place in February.



As to the question, he said as far as he was aware, it would be a simple question, such as the one reported: “Do you approve of a law to permit people of the same sex to marry?”

Entsch said as a long-time campaigner for marriage equality, he had no problem with waiting until February for the plebiscite vote.

Marriage equality plebiscite to be held in Australia in 2017 – reports Read more

“One of reasons the current PM is in his in position is because he made a firm commitment that any government would abide by the Westminster system and decisions made by cabinet,” Entsch said.

“As a backbencher, I was one who complained about captain’s picks [under Tony Abbott] and I demanded the Westminster system, so any sooner and it would not be possible for the prime minister to bring it back to the backbench.”

With only seven sitting weeks until the end of the year, the parliament would also need the time to get the plebiscite legislation through both houses.

“Nobody could argue with my commitment to see this through,” said Entsch. “If I thought there was any scamming or attempt to delay, do you think I would say too bad too sad?

“It’s in nobody’s interest for this issue to drag on longer than it has to. It’s wrong to assume overwhelming majority who want a say want to say no.

“The majority of people want ownership of this. This is something, this is significant social legislation, it is a significant change, we don’t want to leave it to politicians.”

Both Entsch and Australian Marriage Equality chair Alex Greenwich called on the government not to fund either the yes or the no campaign.

Greenwich said 10,000 marriage equality supporters had signed a petition against funding the campaigns while Entsch said the debate had gone on long enough for people to understand the issues involved.

“If you fund it, all you do is provide another opportunity for extremes on either side to have a shot at each other,” Entsch said.



A spokeswoman for the prime minister said the issue had yet to go to cabinet following the advice from the Australian Electoral Commission that a plebiscite would not be possible before the year’s end, and would not confirm the text of the question.

“The government has always said that a decision on same-sex marriage will be made by a vote of all Australians in a national plebiscite to be held as soon as practicable,” the spokeswoman said.

“That commitment has not changed. The mechanics of the plebiscite, including the specific question and also the timing, are subject to the usual cabinet processes. No decisions have as yet been made.



“Late last week the AEC provided advice to the special minister of state that strongly recommended against the conduct of a plebiscite this calendar year.”

A spokesman for the AEC would not comment on internal advice and said it was a matter for the government.

Labor has committed to take a private member’s bill to parliament to bring on a vote on the floor of the house but will not confirm the timing of the bill. Shorten has urged the prime minister to allow a free vote on the issue.

Bill Shorten said Turnbull’s backflip on marriage equality showed weak leadership.

“He has long supported a vote in parliament, but to appease the hard right of the Liberal party, he’s wasting $160m on a plebiscite that won’t even bind MPs to its result,” Shorten said.

“Mr Turnbull is willing to waste taxpayers’ money and provide a platform for hate campaigns, all because he doesn’t have the guts to put a vote to parliament.”

During the election campaign, Turnbull said there was plenty of time to hold a plebiscite after the election.



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“Given that the election is on 2 July, we do have ample time between then and the end of the year, so I would expect it to be held this calendar year,” Turnbull said.

“But it will be held as soon as practical, as obviously legislation has got to pass through the parliament so all I can do is give you my commitment to hold a plebiscite as soon as we can.”

Turnbull said the plebiscite question “will be very straightforward ... we will be asking the Australian people whether they support the definition of marriage being extended to include couples of the same sex”.

The Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, said the expected delay into 2017 was entirely expected, even though marriage equality could be solved as soon as the first day back in parliament in the last week of August.



“Delays are the entire point of the Liberals’ plebiscite ploy. They don’t want to end discrimination in the law, they want to push it off to the never-never,” Di Natale said.