MP Warren Entsch presents same-sex marriage Bill to parliament

MALCOLM Turnbull and Christopher Pyne have rallied behind backbencher Warren Entsch as he introduced to parliament a cross-party bill to allow same-sex marriage.

Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch hugs Member for Griffith, Terri Butler, after the presentation of Entsch's Private Members Bill on Marriage Equality. Picture: Ray Strange

MALCOLM Turnbull and Christopher Pyne have rallied behind backbencher Warren Entsch as he introduced to parliament a cross-party bill to allow same-sex marriage.

Mr Pyne and Mr Turnbull were the only cabinet ministers in the House of Representatives chamber for the Bill’s introduction earlier this morning.

“(The Bill) has the rare distinction of enjoying very strong cross-party support,” Mr Entsch said.

The Queensland Liberal National Party MP was joined in the chamber by most of the Labor caucus, including Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, as well as independents, Greens and a handful of coalition colleagues.

Prominent Labor MP Wayne Swan and government backbenchers Natasha Griggs and Wyatt Roy sat close to Mr Entsch as he presented the legislation.

Mr Entsch said his bill was designed to promote an inclusive society, not a divided one.

“A divided nation is what we will be if we continue to allow discrimination in relation to marriage on the basis of a person’s sexuality,” he said.

He acknowledged there were strong and conflicting views on gay marriage.

“We believe that when it comes to marriage equality, that time is now,” he said.

Liberal co-sponsor Teresa Gambaro, whose office helped draft the bill, hugged Mr Entsch after his speech.

Federal Labor MP Terri Butler hugs National Liberal MP Warren Entsch while waiting to introduce the same-sex marriage bill in the House of Representatives. Source: AAP

Referendum debate

The coalition party room last week rejected giving MPs a free vote on the bill after a lengthy debate, meaning any ministers would have to resign their portfolio if they want to vote for it. Mr Entsch said the issue was about forging an “inclusive Australia, not a divided one”.

“A divided nation is what we will be if we continue to allow discrimination in relation to marriage on the basis of a person’s sexuality.” The MP later told reporters the bill still had a chance of going to a vote.

“I wouldn’t be introducing it if I didn’t hope we could have a vote on it,” Mr Entsch said.

The decision on when the bill comes back for debate will be made by the parliament’s selection committee.

Federal cabinet is today expected to discuss the format for a plebiscite or referendum on the issue.

Mr Turnbull says a plebiscite should be held before the election - a move Mr Entsch supports.

Some ministers say the vote should be a referendum to change the definition of marriage in the constitution - which would be more likely to fail than a plebiscite.

Bold move ... Federal Liberal National MP Warren Entsch has introduced a same-sex marriage Bill to parliament. Source: AAP

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the coalition party room had made a strong decision to “keep faith with the electorate” through this term of parliament, but put it to a vote in the next term. “It should be the people’s decision and that’s what will happen in the next term of parliament,” he said.

Mr Abbott said he respected Mr Entsch as a “terrific member of parliament” and a close friend.

Labor MP Terri Butler, who is seconding the bill, says the prime minister is doing everything in his power to stop same-sex marriage.

She doubts the government could organise a fair plebiscite, saying it’s like wishing for the “sun to be blue”.

“The $120 million on a plebiscite is $120 million of taxpayers’ money being used by Tony Abbott to try to help block marriage equality,” she told reporters in Canberra.

Greens senator Janet Rice says the minor party will continue to push the same-sex marriage debate in the upper house if the cross-party bill doesn’t go anywhere in the lower house.

A Labor bill is also still before parliament and will be debated later on Monday

Side issues

Senior government ministers have called on their colleagues to stop debating side issues and focus on the economy.

The call came as a new poll gave Labor a 54-46 per cent two-party preferred lead over the coalition and Federal Cabinet was due to meet.

Social Services Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra, 700 days into Mr Abbott’s prime ministership, the government was focused on jobs.

Different focus ... Roman Roman Quaedvlieg from the Australian Border Force, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Federal Minister for Immigration Peter Dutton speak to media after visiting an airport cargo screening operation at the DHL Processing Facility at Brisbane Airport yesterday: Source: AAP

“While there’s been some superficiality in debate and commentary in recent times I think the Australian people should rest easy that this is a government focused on their concerns,” he said.

Treasurer Joe Hockey said while “everyone else was talking about other issues” last week, he was discussing trade and investment with Chinese officials.

“We’ve got to focus on policy, we’ve got to focus on what really matters to 100 per cent of the Australian community and that is jobs and growth and community security,” he told ABC radio.

Poll results

The Ipsos-Fairfax poll showed Malcolm Turnbull as the preferred Liberal leader among all voters on 41 per cent, ahead of Julie Bishop (23 per cent), Mr Abbott (15 per cent) and Mr Morrison (about five per cent).

Among coalition voters, Mr Abbott leads with 33 per cent from Mr Turnbull’s 25 per cent, narrowly ahead of Ms Bishop (23 per cent) and Joe Hockey (six per cent).

Mr Morrison told 2GB Radio there would be no leadership change before the election due in 2016.

“The prime minister has my full support and that is the way it will remain,” he said.

Asked about Mr Turnbull’s aspirations, he said: “I’m not his keeper, he’s not mine, we’re colleagues.

“Every government minister must focus on the matters that are of most concern to the Australian people.” Finance Minister Mathias Cormann echoed Mr Morrison.

“Tony Abbott has the overwhelming support of the party room,” he said.

Labor senator Doug Cameron says the poll reflects exactly what Australians think of “this rotten government”.

“They don’t trust the coalition,” he told reporters.