Penny Wong and Cory Bernardi to debate same-sex marriage

PENNY Wong has landed a slam dunk against controversial Senator Cory Bernardi during a debate on gay marriage.

PENNY Wong has landed a slam dunk against controversial Senator Cory Bernardi during a debate on gay marriage.

The two South Australian senators appeared at the National Press Club today to debate whether Australia should legalise gay marriage.

Senator Bernardi, who has previously caused outrage when he linked same-sex legalisation to the acceptance of bestiality, tried to correct the record saying he only meant that legalisation of gay marriage could simply lead to further redefinition of marriage to include other types of relationships.

But Labor Senator Wong said she stood by her previous comments condemning his views, and also delivered the best response possible, saying she was happy to stand with Senator Bernardi against bestiality.

“I say to Cory if you want a guarantee that I will stand with you against bestiality being recognised, I would give that today,” Senator Wong said, to laughter.

However, Senator Wong also said she wouldn’t support polygamous marriages, leading Senator Bernardi to note that “she’s got a line in the sand as we all do about what marriage should mean”.

Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi (left) and Labor Senator Penny Wong during the debate.

Earlier, Liberal Senator Bernardi described the campaign for marriage equality as a masterpiece of “sloganeering”.

He said that the debate over gay rights was a contest over whose rights should prevail.

“Marriage is not a right, it was not invented, marriage simply is,” he said.

He said he did not see why the institution of marriage should be redefined when gay couples enjoyed the same rights as members of a defacto partnership, and there was no legal discrimination.

He said marriage should remain a partnership that complemented the raising of a family.

While acknowledging that same sex couples could sometimes make better parents than heterosexual parents, he said this did not change the rights of a child to be raised by a mother and father. He also warned about the consequences of destroying children’s links to their biological parents.

“Where I come from it is children who have rights and adults who have responsibilities,” he said.

Labor Senator Penny Wong and Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi shake hands ahead of the debate about same sex marriage at the National Press Club.

But Senator Wong, who spoke first during the debate, warned that denying gay couples the right to marry would only harm their children.

“Same sex couples already have children, marriage equality will not change that,” Senator Wong said.

Senator Wong, who has two children with her same-sex partner Sophie, said that denying gay couples the right to marry would only deprive their children and families of the benefits the stability of marriage could provide.

She said legalising same-sex marriage would not change most things in Australia but it would make a difference to gay and lesbian couples.

“The sun will rise, heterosexual marriages won’t crumble, three-year-olds will still want more ice-cream than is good for them, but together we will have made a profound change,” she said.

The openly-gay politician asked everyone to remember this wasn’t a theoretical debate but one about real people and their intimate relationships.

She also noted that it was actually heterosexual couples who had revolutionised marriage.

“It is precisely because heterosexuals have change marriage from an economic arrangement to a relationship of love and support that gay and lesbian people are seeking to join it,” he said.

When asked about whether there should be a plebiscite on gay marriage, Senator Wong said she thought it would be a “delaying tactic”.

But if the majority of Australians and states did vote in favour of gay marriage as part of a plebiscite, Senator Bernardi indicated he would accept the result, saying “who am I to stand in the way?”.

While both senators delivered measured arguments, Senator Wong’s quick comebacks had many on Twitter giving the debate to the Labor minister.

Penny Wong throughout this entire debate #npc pic.twitter.com/R0xklGawkT

— mat whitehead (@matwhi) July 29, 2015

EXCLUSIVE: Live shot of Penny Wong debating Cory Bernardi at #npc pic.twitter.com/BdHvXchoDV

— Petra Starke (@petstarr) July 29, 2015

Senators Cory Bernardi and Penny Wong prepare to debate gay marriage. Picture: Stefan Postles / AAP

The debate comes after it was revealed some coalition MPs were pushing for same-sex marriage to be put to a national vote.

Same-sex marriage supporters believe a plebiscite, which has the support of Social Services Minister Scott Morrison, could delay a law change.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten announced at Labor’s national conference at the weekend he would legislate for same-sex marriage within 100 days of government.

The party also agreed to bind MPs to vote for the Marriage Act change — rather than have a conscience vote — if laws had not been enacted by the end of the next term.

The national ballot would mean setting aside current talks on a cross-party bill, which could come to parliament as early as next month.

Opinion polls have shown 60-70 per cent of voters support allowing same-sex marriage — almost double that of a decade ago.