Rebel Liberal MPs Tim Wilson, Trent Zimmerman, Warren Entsch, Dean Smith and Trevor Evans plan private member’s bill to pass gay marriage
A GROUP of renegade Liberal MPs are plotting to suspend parliamentary standing orders and introduce their own private member’s bill to pass gay marriage in Australia.
NSW
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A GROUP of renegade Liberal MPs are plotting to suspend parliamentary standing orders and introduce their own private member’s bill to pass gay marriage in Australia.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Liberal MPs Tim Wilson, Trent Zimmerman, Warren Entsch, Dean Smith and Trevor Evans are discussing a plan to wrest control of parliamentary business from the Turnbull government in order to introduce their own gay marriage bill to Parliament — and call a conscience vote on it.
The MPs do not see this as “crossing the floor” and say it is a better path than allowing Labor to suspend standing orders, and, thus handing governing authority to Opposition leader Bill Shorten.
Mr Wilson, whose activism on the issue will see him challenged by the Right faction in his seat of Goldstein, confirmed to The Daily Telegraph the option was under consideration.
“I have consistently ruled out voting for a Labor motion to suspend standing orders or a Labor bill,” Mr Wilson said.
“I have not ruled out supporting a Liberal motion or a Liberal bill, and am currently consulting with my community, my party and my colleagues.”
Ministers yesterday were unclear on whether they would be bound by government policy of a plebiscite, or would be free to exercise their right to partake in a conscience vote.
The move could render redundant any consensus on a plebiscite or postal plebiscite reached in Tuesday’s party room meeting where the issue will, once again, be debated.
NSW MPs from the Parliamentary Working Group on Marriage Equality have penned a letter to Liberal MPs showing the history where 20 government MPs and 10 current Cabinet ministers have crossed the floor during their career.
Senior Liberals who are opposed to gay marriage say that if Mr Turnbull does all he can to uphold the policy of a plebiscite, then his leadership would be safe from a spill motion.
However, if he is seen in any way to permit a conscience vote, then there is a plan for a Right faction MP to call a spill motion.
Several Liberal MPs The Daily Telegraph spoke to yesterday who supported gay marriage said they did not support holding a free vote.
They were highly concerned passing gay marriage would see Liberal voters desert the Turnbull government once and for all for conservative fringe groups such as Cory Bernardi’s Australian Conservatives.
Mr Turnbull yesterday reiterated government policy was a plebiscite.
“I went to the election as leader of the Coalition and as Prime Minister promising we would not support a (free) vote … our proposition was there would be a free vote on same-sex marriage in the Parliament if the Australian people approved of it in a plebiscite,” he said.
“So there was a condition precedent, as the lawyers might say to that. Now that has not been satisfied. The reason for that is because of the opposition of the Labor Party and for no other reason.”
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