Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull: SSM vote ‘a big hug’
MALCOLM Turnbull hails today’s marriage bill as “a great moment in history” and downplays the cost to many LBTQI Aussies over the postal vote.
National
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MALCOLM Turnbull has said today’s same-sex marriage vote is “a great moment in history” as he downplayed the significant cost to many LBTQI Australians of having to endure a public debate.
The Prime Minister told ABC 730 host Leigh Sales the controversial vote had “an enormous national effort” with every Australian having a say and the “balance was overwhelmingly positive”.
“I mean, if you are a young gay person and you are worried about your identity, you’re struggling with how to tell your parents or your friends — you know, you’re going through a tough time, and now you know 62 per cent of Australians have voted to say, ‘You are equal, we love you, we respect you.’
“That is a very big affirmation. That is a very big hug, Leigh — and that’s what Australians have done.”
Mr Turnbull said he was proud the vote had “occurred while I’m Prime Minister, while the Liberal and National parties are in government”.
He told Sales: “It is a great moment in our history, a great moment in our political history.”
Sales cornered Mr Turnbull on the citizenship crisis, asking why the PM why every MP under a cloud can’t just be referred to High Court in interests of complete transparency.
The PM said the Labor Party had “produced no evidence — not even an argument — that any member of the Coalition sitting in the House is ineligible”.
Mr Turnbull accused Opposition Leader Bill Shorten of engaging in “a bogus equality” when it came to the issue.
Originally published as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull: SSM vote ‘a big hug’