How a well-meaning attempt at marriage reform backfired in the Liberal ranks

STANDING up to your boss is always a gamble, but when your boss is Tony Abbott, things can go horribly, horribly wrong.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott with Teresa Gambaro and owner of Dolci Sapori Aladino Pozzebon in clayfield brisbane. Pic Mark Calleja

THE leaking of a multi-party push to get same-sex marriage through Parliament might have torpedoed the plan, and no one would know that better than its creator.

Liberal Warren Entsch understands how his party works and knows Tony Abbott cannot be easily bulldozed into changing his mind.

So it would have been a trip-ruining moment for the North Queensland MP in Vietnam yesterday when he heard news reports he wanted to muscle up to the Prime Minister on marriage reform.

There was to be a Noah’s ark piece of legislation — co-sponsored by two Liberals, including Entsch, two Labor MPs, two independents and the lone House of Representatives Green — to change the Marriage Act. And the question of a free vote on the legislation was to be decided at a Coalition joint party room showdown planned for mid-August.

Mr Entsch would have been horrified. This was nothing like the strategy he would have supported and was likely to harm the chances of a smooth adoption of marriage equality.

If someone leaked the speculation to force a reckoning it might not work as resistance now has six weeks to build up. If it was a calculated bid to sabotage the plan, it was a ripper of a tactic.

There now are limited prospects for a positive treatment of same sex marriage legislation through measured negotiation with senior Government figures, most particularly Tony Abbott. Prime Minister Abbott immediately warned the cross-party legislation might never be on the Government’s to-do list, and this would mean no debate on a free vote at a meeting of Coalition MPs.

Senate Leader Eric Abetz says no one cares that Asia isn’t moving to redefine marriage.

But the most telling response was in a statement from Mr Entsch’s office: “He has said all along that if there is to be any chance of success, this issue needs to be approached in a careful, considered and respectful manner.

“He will not compromise this by prematurely running a debate in the media. If the media wants to see this bill be successful, they should respect that decision.”

Certainly release of the proposal was way ahead of the Entsch schedule. And it was obvious yesterday some of those said to be co-sponsors of the legislation were not sure what was happening.

But there was no lack of focus on the part of marriage equality opponents, who were quick to make their views known — and to effectively warn the campaigners not to take them on.

A vocal handful of marriage conservatives were out early this morning to fight the reform idea, but none did so with the singularity of Liberal Senate leader Eric Abetz, who criticised journalists for not reporting more news from Austria. Yes, Austria.

“The regrettable fact is that the media always will report things like the Pitcairn Island parliament of 48 people voting in favour of gay marriage but not reporting the Austrian parliament voting 110 to 26 against,” Senator Abetz told ABC radio.

Then there was this argument: “The Labor Party and other journalists tell us, time and time again, that we are living in the Asian century. Tell me how many Asian countries have redefined marriage?”

It might not be a quality debate, but the leak has made sure it will be a long one.